Wrong to Mock Modi’s Teleprompter Gaffe
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s teleprompter gaffe at the World Economic Forum where Modi seemingly struggled to deliver his speech after the teleprompter stopped working is being trolled on social media. These trolls contend that the Prime Minister cannot make a speech without looking at the teleprompter, which according to them is a weakness, and are using this incident to attack Modi. When the repeated blunders that Modi has made so far are before us, how right is it to project the teleprompter gaffe as a major problem and thereby the country’s failure? Adopting the Sangh Parivar’s strategy of repeating a lie till it becomes the truth would be akin to looking away from the real issues. Public discourse should be about presenting the real issues that the country is facing, not mocking at the Prime Minister’s colour, language, or his eloquence or lack of it.
First, the veracity of the fact that Modi stopped his speech midway due to the glitch in the teleprompter needs to be examined. Initially, when the Prime Minister was struggling for words people, assumed that the teleprompter stopped working and several websites were quick to share the videos. But the reality was something different. Modi had apparently stopped speaking not because of the teleprompter but because the event organizers had asked him to stop as the audience was unable to hear him that caused him to stutter a bit. But the initial misconception spread like wildfire in social media. True, if an incident like this had occurred when Dr Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister, Sangh Parivar’s karyakarthas and trolls would have celebrated it. Even if we were to assume that Modi stammered due to the teleprompter’s malfunctioning, then the criticism should be directed against the quality of the teleprompter and the irresponsibility of the organizers, not against the Prime Minister.
Moreover, the question is whether it is absolutely necessary that a Prime Minister must be eloquent. These days, it appears that the more eloquent a leader is, the more dangerous it is to the country. Prime Minister Modi is an example. Good speakers mesmerize people through their words. The country has rarely found good, eloquent speakers who are also seasoned politicians. Of these, Jawaharlal Nehru stands out. With his words and programmes, Nehru contributed immensely not only to the country but also to the Third World. At the same time, although Manmohan Singh was not a great orator, the entire world respected his words as he is one of the tallest economists in the world. Prime Minister Modi has so far entertained people through his speeches but Modi’s bhakths are coming to know where the country has reached today. That Modi cannot deliver a speech without a teleprompter is not the issue at all. What needs to be discussed is whether, regardless of the presence of the teleprompter, his speeches have a vision. In the entire teleprompter fiasco, the lies that Modi delivered at the World Economic Forum about the state of the country were not discussed at all.
More than the appropriateness of a Prime Minister using a teleprompter, the compulsory use of a teleprompter by someone occupying a top position such as the Prime Minister’s office must be emphasised. Speaking from such a responsible position, it is important to ensure that words are used carefully as otherwise, words that are misunderstood or misconstrued could lead to dangerous situations. It is therefore important that the Prime Minister is well aware of what he is talking about, and he uses the help of different media to read his speeches. This is a good time to note that Modi’s blind followers are responsible for pushing him to this situation. They projected Modi’s speeches as the greatest gifts for the country instead of focusing on his administration. The behaviour of his followers is also responsible for the discussions around the teleprompter. It is high time Modi bhakths who are always focusing on the ‘positive energies’ in his speeches realize that the Prime Minister’s job is not only to deliver speeches but also to take the country on the path of development and start critiquing Modi’s administration.
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SIT formed to probe second sexual assault case against expelled Cong MLA Mamkootathil
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to probe a second case of sexual assault against expelled Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, police officials said on Friday.
The SIT will be led by G Poonguzhali, Assistant Inspector General at the Police Headquarters.
The team also includes a DSP rank officer and sub-inspectors, officials added.
The second sexual assault complaint was received by the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee, which it forwarded to the state police chief.
ALSO READ: Cong expels rape-accused MLA Mamkootathil from party's primary membership
Following this, the Crime Branch registered a case and launched an investigation.
Crime Branch officials said the email complaint contained only the sender's email ID and no other contact details.
As part of the probe, they have sent a reply email requesting that the complainant contact them and provide her statement.
The complainant has alleged that she was sexually assaulted under the false promise of marriage, a Crime Branch official said.
However, details such as the location and date of the alleged incident are not currently available to the police.
The SIT will attempt to trace the sender of the email and record her statement, which is crucial for further investigation, the officer said.
Mamkootathil was expelled from the Congress party on Thursday after a court here rejected his anticipatory bail petition in another rape case.
Police said he is currently absconding, and a manhunt is underway in Kerala and neighbouring states.
