Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament Udayanraje Bhosale has stirred a debate after stating that it was Satara ruler Pratapsinh Bhosale who established the first school for women in India, and that social reformer Mahatma Jyotirao Phule followed in his footsteps in advocating women’s education.

Speaking to reporters at Phule Wada in Pune on the occasion of Mahatma Phule’s birth anniversary, Bhosale, who hails from the royal Satara lineage and is a descendant of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, made the controversial claim while paying tribute to Phule’s legacy.