The Governor of Rajasthan, Haribhai Bagde, has stirred controversy by disputing the widely accepted belief that Mughal Emperor Akbar married a Rajput princess named Jodha Bai. Speaking at the Pratap Gaurav Center on the eve of Maharana Pratap's birth anniversary, Bagde asserted that Akbar's spouse was not a princess but rather the daughter of a palace maid. He stated, 'It is said that Jodha and Akbar were married, and films have been made about this story. But that is false.'

The Governor criticized history books for perpetuating what he termed as false narratives, accusing British historians of distorting facts. He claimed that Akbar's wife, known in history as Mariam-uz-Zamani or Harka Bai, did not belong to a royal lineage. While the marriage was arranged by Raja Bharmal of Amer, Bagde insisted that she was not his daughter. He referenced the Akbarnama, the official court record of Akbar's reign, to support his claims, noting that Jodha Bai is not mentioned in it.

Bagde further accused British historians of deliberately downplaying the contributions of Indian warriors while glorifying foreign rulers. He remarked, 'The British altered the history of our heroes. They wrote it incorrectly, and Indian historians blindly followed.' He urged for a critical reassessment of Indian history from a native perspective. Additionally, he dismissed claims that Rajput king Maharana Pratap ever wrote a letter of surrender to Akbar, stating, 'This is completely misleading. Maharana Pratap never relinquished his pride.'