Videos showing PM Modi’s cutout being worshipped at the Press Club of India went viral, prompting the journalists’ body to clarify that it had not organised the event. The Club said the hall was hired for a press conference but intervened after its terms were violated. Organiser Rajan Singh said a Rs 112-crore Modi temple is planned in Bihar.
Videos and photographs purportedly showing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cutout being worshipped at the Press Club of India in Delhi have gone viral on social media, prompting the journalists’ body to issue a clarification. The Press Club said on Thursday that it had not organised the event and stepped in to stop it after the organisers allegedly violated the terms under which the hall had been rented.
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‘Modi Chalisa’ and god-like cutout seen in ,viral videos
Images and videos circulating online showed participants reading what was described as a ‘Modi Chalisa’, while a large cutout of the Prime Minister was presented in a god-like manner.
The visuals quickly drew attention online, with users questioning how such an event was held at the premises of the Press Club of India.
Responding to the controversy, the Press Club said the programme had not been organised by the institution.
“The Press Club of India has noticed that a photo/video of an event held at its premises earlier today is circulating on social media. It is hereby clarified that the Club had not organised the event,” the body said in a post on X.
Club says hall was booked for a press conference
The Press Club explained that the hall had been hired by an organisation for the purpose of holding a press conference.
However, it said the organisers violated the agreed terms for renting the venue, following which the Club authorities immediately intervened and stopped the event.
The clarification sought to distance the journalists’ body from the worship programme after the videos gained traction across social media platforms.
Organiser announces plan for Modi temple in Bihar
Rajan Singh, who organised the event and is the vice-president of the Bihar State Transgender Welfare Board, defended the programme and said there were plans to build a temple dedicated to Narendra Modi in Bihar.
Speaking to PTI, Singh credited the Modi government with taking steps to protect the rights of transgender people.
“For the first time ever, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ensured that the transgender community gets its rights,” Singh said, adding that he saw nothing wrong with building a temple in the Prime Minister’s honour.
According to Singh, the Bihar State Transgender Welfare Board plans to construct a large temple for “Lord Shri Narendra Modi ji” on five acres of land at an estimated cost of Rs 112 crore.
Singh dismisses criticism over deification
Addressing criticism over portraying a serving Prime Minister in a god-like manner, Singh reportedly said people should not object to the plan.
He also claimed that transgender people were not opposed to the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Act, despite criticism from some activists and groups over issues related to gender self-determination.
Singh argued that opposition to the legislation came from political opponents rather than the transgender community itself.
The viral event has now sparked a wider debate online, with attention focused both on the unusual worship of a political leader and the Press Club of India’s decision to publicly clarify that it had no role in organising the programme.