Since PM Modi’s return from the White House, numerous memes on him has been circulating on Social Media. One of them was a random morphed picture of PM Modi on the front page of the American daily New York Times which seemed to have caught the opposition’s attention.
The meme was a badly photoshopped picture depicting PM Modi in the New York Times newspaper with the headline “Last, Best Hope of Earth” and “World’s most loved and most powerful leader is here to bless us.” After fact-checking the image, The New York Times posted a tweet saying, “This is a completely fabricated image, one of many in circulation featuring Prime Minister Modi.”
Furthermore, they also provided a link to their articles on PM Modi, which basically revolves around his baseless criticism and portrays India in a bad light, “All of our factual reporting on Narendra Modi can be found at:https://nytimes.com/topic/person/narendra-modi.”
They also added, “Resharing or circulating photoshopped images online only adds to misinformation and uncertainty, at a time when truthful, trusted journalism is needed the most.”
This is a completely fabricated image, one of many in circulation featuring Prime Minister Modi. All of our factual reporting on Narendra Modi can be found at:https://t.co/ShYn4qW4nT pic.twitter.com/gsY7AlNFna
— NYTimes Communications (@NYTimesPR) September 28, 2021
It is very evident why a random meme calling PM Modi ‘Best Hope of Earth’ would have triggered the American daily. Ironically, the meme was not even viral on social media until some anti-Indian elements and supporters of the opposition parties started to fact-check the morphed image. What makes it more interesting is that the image was widely circulated on all the social media apps by Congress supporters.
Read more: New York Times crosses limits of fake news, says ‘India blocks naturalization for Muslims.’
The clarification issued by the New York Times calling it BJP IT Cell’s defeat had made the opposition jump for joy as they took to Twitter to celebrate this vague controversy probably stirred by their own IT cell warriors.
One Twitter user wrote, “To avoid public outrage, Modi’s government and his party, BJP, social media cells created a fake news of the US leading US newspaper, New York Times, showed Modi on its cover page,” @nytimes@RanaAyyub
https://twitter.com/Shayansha_/status/1442791140063957003?s=20
Another Twitter user wrote, “This must hurt! BJP IT cell spread fake news. NYT not only denies it , it provides a link to all of their recent news items on Modi , most of which aren’t flattering ! The saying in Hindi – Aa Bail Mujhe Maar!”
This must hurt! BJP IT cell spread fake news. NYT not only denies it , it provides a link to all of their recent news items on Modi , most of which aren’t flattering ! 😂
The saying in Hindi – Aa Bail Mujhe Maar! https://t.co/8pO0zFNQ7F
— Sir Kazam {blu tik} (@SirKazamJeevi) September 29, 2021
Another user tweeted, “Hey @nytimes, Thanks for printing article on World’s most Feku Prime Minister ShriNarendra Modi The Pride of Bhakts.”
Hey @nytimes Thanks for printing article on World's most Feku Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi The Pride of Bhakts. pic.twitter.com/xRnTdCqv3x
— Man (@007_mmaske) September 26, 2021
The opposition’s IT cell warriors seem to be peddling their own narrative and propaganda against PM Modi. This picture of the PM was badly photoshopped, which makes it enough for anyone to guess that it was a morphed image. Moreover, why would the BJP itself create and circulate a meme that was evidently mocking PM Modi?
Furthermore, the meme was already fact-checked earlier by The Scroll, Quint and Boom Live in India. It was only after the New York time fact-checked the image, the oppositions’ flooded social media by mocking and questioning the same.
Additionally, it is no surprise that New York Times has been vitriolic against India from the very beginning. The way New York Times has indirectly admitted that they can go to any length to defame PM Modi, which includes fielding criminals against him, proves how low they have stooped in their fight to pull not only PM Modi but even India down.
