An unnecessary controversy erupted on social media after President Ram Nath Kovind unveiled the portrait of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. Artist Paresh Maity painted the portrait.
Many netizens jumped on social media claiming that the President unveiled the portrait of actor Prosenjit Chatterjee, who played the role of Netaji in the 2019 biopic Gumnaami.
According to a leading English daily, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra started the controversy in a now-deleted Tweet. Not just Moitra but several others also put out tweets stating that it was the portrait of Prosenjit and not Netaji.
However, a Rashtrapati Bhavan official dismissed the allegations. The official told a leading news agency that the President had unveiled the actual portrait of Netaji at Rashtrapathi Bhavan on January 23 to mark the 125th birth anniversary of the freedom fighter. The official added the tweets could be politically motivated. Even some journalists like Nistula Hebbar pointed out that it was the actual portrait of Netaji.
After the Rashtrapathi Bhavan official confirmed the portrait is of Netaji, those who pointed out that it wasn’t immediately deleted their tweets and posts fearing backlash. However, many BJP leaders and supporters targeted netizens, journalists and opposition parties for 'insulting' President Kovind and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
