Oops! Modi model speech goes international
by CD Network
Monday, 16 June 2014 13:46
Thimpu, Jun 16: Oops he did it again! Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is notorious in
his country for goof-ups in public speeches, has now exhibited his slip-up skills in Bhutan
Parliament too.
Otherwise known for his mocking skills, the newly elected PM of world’s largest democracy
made a funny slip and invited the wrath of Twitteratis. During his address in Bhutan Parliament Modi said ‘Nepal’ instead of ‘Bhutan’ while hailing the
country’s royal family. Modi is on a 2-day official visit to Bhutan in a bid to strengthen bilateral relations and improve
trade between the two countries.
Here are few old and interesting goof-ups of Narendra Modi:
"Mohanlal Karamchand Gandhi" (Dudu, November 2013)
Imagine the horror when NaMo, while exhorting the audience to fulfill Gandhi's dying wish,
referred to him as MohanLAL Karamchand Gandhi instead of MohanDAS Karamchand Gandhi!
Confusing Shyamaji Krishna Verma with Shyama Prasad Mookerjee (Kheda, November
2013)
Another memorable gaffe that NaMo made was confusing Shyamaji Krishna Verma, the
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Oops! Modi model speech goes international
by CD Network
Monday, 16 June 2014 13:46
revolutionary freedom fighter, with Shyama Prasad Mookerjee, an Indian politician. When he
boasted about bringing the former's remains back to India in 2003, he accidentally let slip it was
Mookerjee's remains. No wonder people poked fun at him for changing India's history as per his
will!
"Takshashila is in Bihar" (Patna, October 2013)
Trying to woo the Bihar voters during a public speech in Patna Modi praised Takshashila as the
learning hub in ancient India. Geographically, Takshashila is in Pakistan.
“Rupee was equivalent to a US dollar during Independence” (Ahmedabad, July 2013)
Trying to squarely lay the blame of inflation on the UPA government, NaMo either has the habit
of exaggeration or ignorance about certain important facts. Last year in Ahmedabad, he claimed
how the Indian rupee was equivalent to a US dollar at the time of Indian independence. This is
not the case - as one Indian rupee was worth 30 cents around that time.
"Dalits are like mentally retarded children" (Ahmedabad, April 2010)
Modi manifested complete lack of sensibility when he compared Dalits in this fashion during his
book launch four years back. He said that we should treat Dalits the same way we treat
mentally retarded children.
"Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel proposed reservations for women in the Ahmedabad
Municipality in 1919" (Ahmedabad, October 2013)
Another instance when Narendra Modi got historical facts completely wrong was during the
inauguration of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Memorial Museum last year. Given that
he was harking back to the Iron Man of India a lot during state assembly elections, he should
have had his facts clear. Sardar Patel proposed reservations for women not in 1919, but in
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Oops! Modi model speech goes international
by CD Network
Monday, 16 June 2014 13:46
1926.
"Congress devalued India's First War of Independence" (Meerut, February 2014)
Seeing that Congress was formed in 1885, and the First War of Independence occurred nearly
three decades before in 1857 - Congress had absolutely no say in that, whatsoever. NaMo has
his way of trying to point out Congress' faults in each place where he campaigns for polls. And
since Meerut was where the historical uprising first started, he tried to show them in the bad
light once again, albeit with completely fudged historical notions.
"Prime Minister's August 15 speech is delivered from Lal Darwaza" (Bangalore,
November 2013)
Another oops moment for BJP occurred when NaMo mistook Lal Qila, where the Prime Minister
of India gives his Independence Day speech from, with Lal Darwaza - another historical
structure located in the same area of Old Delhi. This happened in Bangalore last year, just a
few days after the Shyamaji Krishna Verma gaffe.
"26 chief ministers in Maharashtra since 1960" (Mumbai, December 2013)
When he was in Mumbai last year, Modi said that there have been 26 Chief Ministers in
Maharashtra since 1960. Technically it was just 17 individuals who were elected as Chief
Minister 26 times.
"Major Somnath Sharma awarded the Mahavir Chakra, Brigadier Rajinder Singh
decorated with the Param Vir Chakra" (Jammu, December 2013)
When in Jammu and Kashmir, Narendra Modi tried to inject the so called nationalist spirit in his
famous 'Lalkaar Rally' last year. He took the names of some brave soldiers who have fought for
their nation from this northern frontier of India - including Major Somnath Sharma and Brigadier
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Oops! Modi model speech goes international
by CD Network
Monday, 16 June 2014 13:46
Rajinder Singh. Everything was cool and patriotic till NaMo messed up the bravery awards
given to the duo. In reality, the former got the Param Vir Chakra and the latter got the Mahavir
Chakra.
And then, again, there were incidents which were supposedly very embarrassing - for instance
the speech in Patna where he said that when we recall the Gupta dynasty we think about the
achievements of Chandragupta. Nitish Kumar, and then many Modi critics laughed at him for
confusing Chandragupta Maurya with the Gupta Dynasty - whereas he wasn't talking about
Maurya at all! In the same speech, when he was quoting lines from a poem which lauded how
Alexander's army was defeated by Biharis - people thought he was confused because the
Greek ruler never crossed the Ganges. Nonetheless, the mistakes that he genuinely made
certainly are blots that will not go away so easily.
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