A heated online debate erupted after actor Gul Panag responded to political commentator and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee over his remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his interactions with the press.
The exchange, which took place on X, (formerly Twitter) quickly drew strong reactions from social media users on both sides of the argument.
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What Dhruv Rathee Said About PM Modi
On May 19, Dhruv Rathee shared a post criticising the Prime Minister over the absence of press conferences during his tenure. In his post, he wrote, “Modi deserves to be humiliated everywhere he goes. He has not given a single press conference in 12 years since he became the Prime Minister. He fails to fulfill the basic transparency and accountability requirements of being a leader.”
Referring to the Norway incident involving a journalist questioning PM Modi during a press briefing, Rathee further added, “I would like to encourage foreign journalists from other European countries to ask him questions wherever they see him, just like @HelleLyngSvends did. Embarrass him so much that he is forced to show some accountability in front of people. You will be doing great service for India’s progress.”
Gul Panag Responds
On May 22, Gul Panag reacted to Rathee’s remarks and expressed her disagreement with the tone of his comments.
She wrote, “Not cool. You can dislike a Prime Minister, disagree with a government, protest, debate and vote differently. That’s democracy.”
The actor went on to say, “But reducing the office of India’s Prime Minister, the man, the office, and what he represents abroad, to a joke on foreign soil -doesn’t feel like the right thing or dissent - to me. It diminishes him, the institution, and ultimately, us.”
What Happened During PM Modi’s Norway Visit?
The controversy traces back to PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Norway earlier this week. During a joint media appearance in Oslo with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, a journalist attempted to ask Modi questions as the leaders concluded their press statements.
As the Prime Minister was leaving the podium, journalist Helle Lyng was heard asking, “Prime Minister Modi, why don't you take some questions from the freest press of the world?”
PM Modi did not respond to the question and exited the room alongside his Norwegian counterpart.
Later, Lyng shared her reaction on X and wrote, “Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, would not take my question. I was not expecting him to.”
She also posted a video from the interaction and further commented, “Norway has the number one spot on the World Press Freedom Index, India is at 157th, competing with Palestine, the Emirates and Cuba.”
“It is our job to question the powers we cooperate with,” she added.