Actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut has ignited controversy with her recent remarks, mistakenly referring to Subhas Chandra Bose as India’s first Prime Minister. During a television interview, Ranaut questioned the whereabouts of India’s first PM after gaining independence. While Ranaut’s remarks were factually incorrect, they have brought attention to a lesser-known historical event. Subhas Chandra Bose, also known as Netaji, declared India’s independence and established the government of Azad Hind in Singapore on October 21, 1943. Bose proclaimed himself as the Prime Minister, Head of State, and Minister of War, announcing India’s participation in World War II.
Ranaut’s statement has garnered a flurry of memes and humorous posts on social media, but it also raises concerns about misinformation. The Bharat Rashtriya Samithi (BRS) working president, KT Rama Rao, took a jibe at Ranaut for her factual error and questioned the educational background of certain BJP leaders who have made similar statements about historical events. Congress leader Supriya Shrinate also criticized Ranaut’s remarks and suggested that she could join the list of BJP leaders who are known for their controversial statements.
This is not the first time Ranaut has faced backlash for her statements. She previously claimed that India achieved true independence only after Narendra Modi became the prime minister in 2014, which led to widespread trolling on social media.
Despite the controversies surrounding her, Ranaut has been named as one of the candidates for the Lok Sabha polls by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In an Instagram post, she expressed her honor at joining the BJP and being selected as their candidate from her birthplace, Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi constituency. The Lok Sabha polls in Himachal Pradesh are scheduled to be held on June 1, 2023, for four seats.
The Mandi Lok Sabha constituency has historically been a battleground for erstwhile royal families, with their scions winning the majority of elections for this seat. Out of the 19 elections, including two by-elections, the royal families have emerged victorious in 13 instances. The seat has seen three general elections and two by-elections since 2009. Congress has had significant success in this constituency, winning three times. In the 2009 general elections, Virbhadra Singh of Congress emerged as the victor, while Pratibha Singh, also from Congress, won in the by-elections of 2013 and 2021. On the other hand, the BJP secured victories in the parliamentary elections of 2014 and 2019, with Ram Swaroop Sharma being elected as the Member of Parliament both times. However, tragic circumstances led to a by-election in 2021 after Sharma’s unfortunate death by suicide, resulting in Pratibha Singh of Congress winning the seat. Currently, out of the four Lok Sabha seats in Himachal Pradesh, the BJP holds three.
It remains to be seen how the controversy surrounding Kangana Ranaut’s remarks will impact her political aspirations and the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
