What was Indian PM Modi doing on the day of Pulwama attack

Indian opposition parties blame Modi for not performing his political duties

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was recording for a Discovery channel show on the day of the suicide attack in occupied Kashmir's Pulwama and questions have been asked regarding Modi's activities on the day.

The Indian prime minister did not forego the public relations exercise and continued with recording the TV show despite the death of at least 40 Indian paramilitary personnel.

A newly-released promo of the Discovery channel’s ‘Man Vs Wild’ show has reignited the debate on what the Indian premier was doing at 3:10 pm when the attack occurred. He was seen leaving a natural reserve at 7 pm.

 

People across 180 countries will get to see the unknown side of PM @narendramodi as he ventures into Indian wilderness to create awareness about animal conservation & environmental change. Catch Man Vs Wild with PM Modi @DiscoveryIN on August 12 @ 9 pm. #PMModionDiscovery pic.twitter.com/MW2E6aMleE

— Bear Grylls (@BearGrylls) July 29, 2019

The show will air on August 12 in more than 180 countries.

“When I was asked about a special programme focussing on life beyond politics – and that too in the midst of nature – I was both intrigued and inclined to take part in it,” said Modi.

The Indian opposition blamed Modi for not performing his political duties in the midst of the security situation.

Modi was also accused by the opposition parties of staying three hours after the Pulwama attack as he was on “an epic adventure of a lifetime”, getting survival lessons from Bear Grylls, who is the host of the reality TV show.



According to the timeline published in an Indian publication's article, Modi left the Corbett National Park between 6:40 pm and 7:30 pm, whereas the Pulwama attack occurred between 3:10 pm and 3:15 pm.

Modi’s arrival at the Corbett park was delayed by four hours due to bad weather in Dehradun. He was supposed to arrive at the park at 9 am and leave at 2 pm.  It was reported by The Wire that the Discovery crew even waited at Dhikala and completed their shoot before the terror attack.

The park officials, however, refused giving and details about the Discovery shoot, making it impossible to determine if Modi shot the documentary even after being informed about the attack.

A former senior national security official said that it is “difficult to imagine the basic information not being conveyed to Modi despite the national security adviser being made aware of the situation.”