Daijiworld Media Network
New Delhi, May 13: Prime Minister Narendra Modi claiming to use email and digital camera in 1988 has become a major embarrassment for the BJP, with Twitterati making fun of the PM as the technology came much later.
In an interview with News Nation on May 11, which is making rounds, Modi said he used digital camera in 1988 to photograph BJP veteran L K Advani. He also claimed to have used the email in 1988.
"Around 1987-88 I used digital camera for the first time. Very few had email at the time. There was an Advani rally. At that time the digital camera used to be this big (motions with his hands). I had a digital camera. I took a photo of Advani and transmitted it to Delhi. A colour photo was printed. Advani ji was surprised and said how did my colour photo appear today?," Modi is heard saying in the interview.
Economist Rupa Subramanya was quick to tweet, “In 1988, even in the developed west, email was available to a few academics and scientists but Modi somehow used it in 1988 in India before it was officially introduced to the rest of us in 1995.”
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi tweeted, “A PM who’ll literally say ANYTHING that comes to his mind can’t possibly be trusted with our national security”
While Scholar Ashok Swain said the PM needs ‘medical care’, Political commentator Salman Soz using #Feku said, “This is so embarrassing for India.”
The Twitter thread was then responded with facts by various users. The credibility of the PM was questioned with the fact that the first digital camera came into existence in 1990 and email service in India was introduced in 1995.
“Internet in India was made publicly available in 1995 by VSNL but Modi was sending emails in 1987,” ridiculed political analyst Gaurav Pandhi.
Many pointed out that the facts shared by Modi about his humble background and also regarding the technology he used, which could be afforded by a few does not match up.
Politician Rajeev Satav claimed ‘old habits die hard’.
Meanwhile Congress Social Media in-charge Divya Spandana said she was curious to know who Modi was sending emails to.
Meanwhile, Congress too had a hilarious tweet for Modi’s claim.
“Don’t ever ask what Congress did in the past 60 years,” was tweeted from the official handle.
In the same interview, Modi's made another highly criticised comment that Balakot airstrike were not put off because of bad weather as "clouds could help Indian fighter planes escape Pakistan's radar".