The Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday confirmed that Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's daughter Anita Bose Pfaff had been invited to the community reception in honour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Berlin, but she declined the invitation.
"It is a fact that our Embassy in Berlin had invited Anita Pfaff ji to community reception in honour of Prime Minister in Berlin on 13 April," MEA official spokesperson Vikas Swarup told ANI.
"Anita ji conveyed it was difficult for her to make this long journey from Bavaria to Berlin to come for the event. Anita ji has however conveyed to our consulate that she intends to make a visit to India in the last quarter of 2015 at which time she looks forward to meeting Prime Minister Modi," he added.
The MEA's clarification puts to rest reports that Pfaff, who is also Netaji's only child, was sidelined during the community reception for Prime Minister Modi in Berlin.
Prime Minister Modi had met Netaji's grand nephew Surya Bose during the event and assured him that he would look into the surveillance issue and the declassification of files.