Mumbai: Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut has challenged her detractors to answer a single question of hers amidst the ongoing furore about her comments made at the Times Now Summit this week. The actress took to Instagram to share excerpts from an unnamed textbook in an effort to justify her comments which termed the Independence won in 1947 as 'alms' given to the 'beggar Congress'.
The combative Kangana Ranaut on Saturday asked which war took place in 1947 and said she would return her Padma Shri and apologise too if anyone could answer her question, reiterating that the freedom India gained in 1947 was "placed in the begging bowl of the Congress" while the right wing was poised to fight to take it.
"1857 I know but which war took place in 1947 I am not aware, if someone can bring to my awareness I will give back my Padma Shri and apologise also… please help me with this (sic)," the 34-year-old actress wrote in a lengthy post in English in her Instagram Stories. Ranaut also defended her statement that India received true 'Azaadi' in 2014 as before that only physical freedom was gained. But "the consciousness and conscience of India was set free in 2014. A dead civilisation came alive and fluttered its wings and now roaring and soaring high," she stated.
She lamented the loot of the British in India and the subsequent lack of support given by Gandhi to Subash Chandra Bose, claiming that Bose could have become the Prime Minister of a free India but was thwarted.
Political leaders, including BJP MP Varun Gandhi, Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil, Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, are among the host of people who criticised Ranaut for her remarks while Times Now has distanced itself from the speech in question.