Bollywood actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut has triggered an online debate after she claimed that freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was the first prime minister of India and not Jawaharlal Nehru. The Bharatiya Janata Party candidate from Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections went to support the remarks she made at a news channel conclave by citing a news article clipping that purportedly mentioned that Subhas Chandra Bose had declared himself the PM of ‘Azad Hind’ in 1943.

Amid the ongoing debate on her claim, Subhas Chandra Bose’s family reacted to Kangana Ranaut‘s post on X (formally Twitter) and sought to correct her. Chandra Bose, the grandnephew of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose who resigned from the BJP last year, said while Subhas Chandra Bose was indeed the first prime minister, the Netaji did not “declare it himself”.

“Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was the 1st Prime Minister of United/Undivided India, he didn’t declare it himself! He was elected by the Azad Hind Government- 1st free Govt. in exile,” Chandra Bose wrote.

Meanwhile, Subhashini Ali, CPI(M) leader and the daughter of a member of Subhas Chandra Bose’s ‘Provisional government of Azad Hind’ also fact-checked the actor saying, “Kangana Ranaut should know that Netaji was the head of the PROVISIONAL GOVT OF AZAD HIND not of the govt of India.”

Several opposition leaders, including Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate and BRS leader KTR, also slammed Kangana Ranaut for her comments.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi took a dig at Kangana Ranaut saying, “In the past week thanks to a BJP candidate we have learnt things…I request channels to interview this bright spark more often.”

However, a section of netizens came out in support of the new BJP joinee.

Responding to Priyanka Chaturvedi’s post, Chandrchur Ghose – who co-authored a book on Subhas Chandra Bose ‘Conundrum’ – questioned her if she has “ever heard of the provisional government of free India”. “Yes, the Govt formed by ‘Sh. Bose’ & acknowledged by at least 9 countries? With its own army & territory?” Ghose wrote on X.

Another co-author of the book Anuj Dhar responded to Indian historian Irfan Habib’s claim saying that the first government in exile was in Kabul in 1915 with Raja Mahendra Pratap as its president and Maulvi Barkatullah as prime minister.

“For all practical purposes, Raja Mahendra Pratap’s govt was on paper only. Bose’s govt was fully functional. It had several departments which actually worked in SE Asia. It was recognised by several countries,” Dhar replied to Habib.