Subhash Chandra Bose, admirably known as Netaji, was one of the most prominent leaders during  India’s Independence struggle. Not only he  was a wonderful influencer, but also a very charismatic orator and a precocious man. He was born into an affluent, privileged family in 1897 on 23^rd January, Cuttack, Odisha. During his teenage and young adult years, he exhibited brilliant academic results, and also around the same time grew hostile towards the then ruling authority. He took the Indian Civil Service examinations and got selected at a very young age, though, he denied to work under the British ruled country. He joined Indian National Congress (popularly known as INC) and started working with many other well known leaders like Gandhi and Nehru. Bose was appointed as the president of Congress in 1938. After re-election in 1937, Bose and Gandhi started differences started surfacing and they drifted apart. Subsequently, Bose formed the Forward Bloc in 1939 and the Azad Hind Fauj along with Mohan Singh 1942. Bose earned the title “Netaji” back in Germany by the Indian soliders of Azad Hind Fauj.

23^rd January is celebrated as “Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Jayanti”  or “Parakram Diwas(Day of Valour)” in the remembrance and honour of the brave tiger of Bengal and the heroic soul who fought and brought freedom for our country. This Parakram Diwas, the President, Ramnath Kovind, unveiled a picture of the respected leader “Netaji” at the Rashtrapati Bhawan as a token of honour to commemorate his 125th birth anniversary.

According to a few sources, the portrait unveiled was the picture of a well known actor Prasenjit Chatterjee. Prasenjit Chatterjee played the role of Netaji in a biopic called ‘Gumnaami’ directed by Srijit Mukherjee. The matter took the internet by storm in a few hours, people slammed the Rashtrapati Bhawan and peddled the news. Rashtrapati Bhawan declined all the rumours and claimed them false in a tweet and an official quoted that,the “President unveiled the official portrait of actor Prasenjit Chatterjee (Bumbada) and not Netaji at the Rashtrapati Bhawan”. The original photo of Netaji was soured from Jayanti Bose Rakshit, who is Netaji’s grand niece.

The President on January 23 unveiled a portrait of Netaji at the Rashtrapati Bhawan to mark the beginning of the year-long celebrations to commemorate the freedom fighter’s 125th birth anniversary.