Kolkata, Jan. 23 -- West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday paid tributes to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his birth anniversary, describing him as a "towering patriot" for whom freedom, dignity and India's sovereignty were "non-negotiable", while alleging that the legacy of national icons and constitutional values is being "deliberately undermined " in present times.

Through her official X post, she hailed Netaji as "Bengal's proud son", whose life was devoted entirely to the freedom and destiny of India. "When fear was normalised and submission institutionalised, Netaji chose defiance. When compromise was convenient, he chose sacrifice. To Netaji, freedom was non-negotiable, dignity was non-negotiable, and India's sovereig...