# Ananta Maharaj row exposes Bengal’s uneasy ties with Netaji icon 2026-08-23T17:59:34+00:00 | Politics | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet BJP Rajya Sabha MP Nagendra Ray, known as Ananta Maharaj, has apologised for remarks questioning Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's contribution to India's freedom struggle and calling him a 'war criminal'. The apology followed the West Bengal government withdrawing the Banga Bibhushan award conferred on him. Ananta Maharaj had also questioned the Indian National Army's role, claiming it consisted of British-Indian soldiers captured by Germany. The BJP MP insisted his claims were based on National Archives material, invoking Jawaharlal Nehru over the 'war criminal' description. Declassified files from 2016 contain a later account of an alleged Nehru dictation, but historians say no archival evidence establishes Bose as a war criminal. Nehru himself in 1945 rejected the suggestion that Bose be treated as a war criminal. The row has highlighted political parties' uneasy relationship with Bose, Bengal's most enduring nationalist icon. Historians note that while Bose did not found the first INA, which was formed under Captain Mohan Singh in 1942, he became its central figure after taking over in 1943. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The controversy taps into a deeper political contest in Bengal, where both the TMC and BJP try to claim Netaji's legacy. Bose's Forward Bloc, once a Left Front ally, is now electorally marginal. The Banga Bibhushan withdrawal is symbolic but underscores how quickly honours become political tools. The 'war criminal' charge has been debunked by multiple official inquiries, yet it resurfaces periodically, reflecting the unresolved public appetite for Bose's classified files. The next flashpoint could be any political anniversary or comment that tests this fault line again. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com Leads with the political fallout and provides historical context without taking sides, citing both the MP's claims and historians' rebuttals. This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Ananta Maharaj, BJP, Indian National Army, Mamata Banerjee, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, West Bengal Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/ananta-maharaj-row-exposes-bengals-uneasy-ties-with-netaji-icon/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/ananta-maharaj-row-exposes-bengals-uneasy-ties-with-netaji-icon/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/