Kangana Ranaut, actor and BJP candidate from Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, stirred up a storm when she erroneously referred to Subhas Chandra Bose as India’s first Prime Minister. Ranaut said, “Tell me one thing, when we got independence, where did India’s first PM Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose go?”

On March 27, Kangana attended a Times Now event. Almost a week after the same, a clip of Kangana from the interview has gone viral on Twitter and Instagram. In it, she mentions freedom fighter and Azad Hind Fauj leader Subhash Chandra Bose was the first Prime Minister of India, not Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

“Pehle mujhe ye baat aaj clear karne dijiye. Jab hume azaadi mili toh the first Prime Minister of India, Subhash Chandra Bose, woh kahan gae? (Let me clear this first. When we gained independence, where did the first Prime Minister of India, Subhash Chandra Bose, go)”.

To this, the host corrected her and reminded that Bose was not the Prime Minister of India. Immediately after, Kangana said, “He wasn’t, but why? Where did he go? How was he made to disappear?”

She said that Bose fought with Japan, Germany for India’s independence but was not allowed to land in India.

Kangana’s comments did not go down well with the opposition leaders. Bharat Rashtriya Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao scoffed and said in a post on X, “One BJP candidate from North says Subhas Chandra Bose was our first PM!! And another BJP leader from South says Mahatma Gandhi was our PM!! Where did all these people graduate from?”

Congress leader Supriya Shrinate also shared Kangana Ranaut’s statement and wrote, “Don’t take her lightly – she will go ahead in the list of BJP leaders”.

Some other users also took a jibe at her. “According to Kangana Ranaut:- India got independence in 2014 – Netaji Bose was the first PM of independent India. – Sardar Patel wasn’t made PM because he didn’t know English. For more such jokes over the next 5 years, voters in Mandi should vote for Kangana,” read a tweet. “I strongly condemn Kangana Ranaut’s statement that the first Prime Minister of India was Subhash Chandra Bose. We all know that the first PM of India was Shri Narendra Modi Ji after India gained independence in 2014,” joked another person.

A couple of years ago, Kangana Ranaut created quite a stir when she said that India truly gained independence when the Bhartiya Janta Party came to power in 2014.

While Kangana Ranaut’s factually incorrect remarks have triggered a meme fest on X (formerly Twitter), it has also brought to light a little-known historic event when Bose declared India free and proclaimed a government where he was head of the state.

Bose, popularly known as Netaji, had on October 21, 1943, formed a government of Azad Hind (Free India) in Singapore. The freedom fighter declared himself as the Prime Minister, the Head of State, and the Minister of War while making the announcement came during World War II.

The ‘Azad Hind Sarkar’ proclaimed authority over Indian civilians and military personnel in the country, which was then occupied by Britain. They announced their currency, court and civil code.

The fiery move Bose is also said to have provided a major impetus to the freedom struggle against the British.

Subhash Chandra Bose died on August 18, 1945. His death was seen as the end of the Azad Hind movement. India gained independence on August 15, 1947. Jawaharlal Nehru was made the first Prime Minister of India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and several other senior leaders have appreciated the role of that ‘Azad Hind’ government in providing a vision for a “strong undivided India”.

“Netaji was not just an inspiration for Indians, but for all those who were fighting for self-determination and freedom in countries all over the world,” PM Modi had said at an event to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the formation of Azad Hind Government.