After Ignoring It For Decades, PM Modi In An Event Of ‘Friendly’ NDTV Today
For the past 10 years, Narendra Modi, as Prime Minister, has been known for his legacy of not holding press conferences. However, during election campaigns, the BJP leader became more open to interview requests from mainstream media. According to a report by The Wire, Modi’s website recorded 51 such interviews between May 1 and May 24, in addition to 13 conducted in April.
Notably, Modi had long avoided interviews with NDTV when the channel was under the ownership of journalist Radhika Roy and her husband, economist Prannoy Roy. The channel was critical of Modi, especially in its coverage of the 2002 Gujarat riots, which occurred while Modi was Chief Minister of Gujarat. These communal riots left over 1,000 people dead.
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However, after the Adani Group, led by Gautam Adani, acquired a majority stake in NDTV, the channel’s founders resigned as directors. In a surprising move, Modi, who had previously avoided interviews with NDTV under its previous ownership, spoke at the ‘NDTV World Summit 2024 – The Indian Century’ today.
Modi made this announcement on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “At 10 AM tomorrow morning, I look forward to addressing the #NDTVWorldSummit on ‘The India Century.’ India’s growth trajectory has truly captured global attention. Our Yuva Shakti is taking our nation to new heights. I will be talking about India’s key strides and why we remain a global bright spot.”
At 10 AM tomorrow morning, I look forward to addressing the #NDTVWorldSummit on ‘The India Century.’ India’s growth trajectory has truly captured global attention. Our Yuva Shakti is taking our nation to new heights. I will be talking about India’s key strides and why we remain a…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 20, 2024
According to NDTV, the two-day summit will feature Modi sharing his vision for a developed India by 2047. Other notable speakers include former UK Prime Minister David Cameron and India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. It is also worth noting that, aside from Modi, most BJP leaders had avoided interacting with NDTV while it was under its previous ownership.
Before this, Modi had given interviews to NDTV during the general elections earlier this summer.
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In addition to the Adani Group’s takeover, the Roys faced a CBI investigation in 2017. The agency accused them and others of causing financial losses to ICICI Bank by defaulting on loans. However, after a seven-year probe, the CBI had to close down the case, citing a lack of evidence.
