Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s love for press conferences is common knowledge. In the five years of his tenure, he has not addressed even one presser. On Wednesday, April 24, this landed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in a bit of a soup.
When a Times Now journalist, Prashant Kumar, shared on Twitter the PM was to address the press in Varanasi on April 26, it instantly became BREAKING NEWS.
https://twitter.com/scribe_prashant/status/1121016594329550848
It was broadcasted by the channel as the hottest-cake of this half decade.
#Breaking | PM @narendramodi to address a press conference on 26th April at 12:30 PM in Varanasi. | #May23WithTimesNow pic.twitter.com/c30PS4YQD4
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) April 24, 2019
However, the ‘news’ turned out to be no different from the April Fool’s joke that has been making an appearance every year in the last five years.
Within minutes, an Indian Express journalist wrote that a BJP leader said that it was “110% false news” because Modiji addressing a press conference cannot be merely 100% wrong. Other news portals also confirmed that the BJP had clarified that no such presser has been planned.
Denying the reports that PM Modi is to hold a press conference in Varanasi on April 26, a @BJP4India leader said "its 110% false" news. No such plan at all, the leader said @IndianExpress
— Liz Mathew (@MathewLiz) April 24, 2019
Many people on social media commented on the farcical business of PM Modi & a press conference.
Hilarious how news of Modi *addressing a press conference* is fake news…
— Rohan Venkat (@RohanV) April 24, 2019
Just when I began making travel arrangements for Varanasi to take part in Modi’s first ever press conference, BJP says he has no such plans and news is fake. How disappointing!
— Rifat Jawaid (@RifatJawaid) April 24, 2019
They’ve denied it. Kisiki class lagegi Lucknow mein
— Poulomi Saha (@PoulomiMSaha) April 24, 2019
Someone within BJP wanted to troll Modi about a press conference?
Where did that press release come from?
— Vivek (@ivivek_nambiar) April 24, 2019