- Seychelles gives “Guardian of the Blue Horizon” award to Modi.
- Certificate of Recognition misspells “Republic” and “Seychelles”.
- PM Modi ‘disgraces Indian nation’: Khawaja Asif.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has come under fire following a report claiming that several awards and accolades he received during overseas visits were created shortly before his arrival in the respective host countries.
The controversy emerged after Modi received one of Seychelles’ “highest” honors during his recent visit to the Indian Ocean island nation, according to a report by British publication The Guardian.
Seychelles President Patrick Herminie presented the “Guardian of the Blue Horizon” award to the Indian Prime Minister along with a trophy and a certificate, it said.
However, social media users were quick to point out mistakes on the certificate, including misspellings of “Republic” and “Seychelles”.
According to the publication, the award had been instituted just three days before Modi’s visit, making him its first and only recipient.
Adding to the controversy, the certificate was reportedly flagged as AI-generated by several detection tools.
The revelations sparked a political storm in India, with the opposition Congress party accusing Modi of pursuing personality-driven politics.
“Give him [Modi] any cost and he will come running,” Congress politician Supriya Shrinate wrote in a post on X.
“They were so busy that they even got the official name of Seychelles wrong,” she added.
However, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) defended the recognition, saying it was a “proud moment for India”.
Later, the Seychelles Ministry of Foreign Affairs blamed a clerical error for the incident, saying “The Guardian of the Blue Horizon distinction is genuine”.
However, this is not the first time that Modi has become the first and only recipient of an award during a foreign trip.
During his visit to Israel last month, the Israeli parliament created what it claimed was one of the country’s highest honors and bestowed it on Modi when he landed. According to the report, the Indian premier remains the only beneficiary till date.
Last year, Modi became the first foreign head of state to receive Ethiopia’s Great Honor Nishan and the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
Reacting to the report on the honour, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said the “contrived recognition” was either “the worst form of cheap popularity or the most malicious gratification”.
“Prices created days before arrival, certificates printed using a cheap AI model, obvious typos and then [Modi] will be the first and only recipient,” he wrote in a post on X.
According to the defense czar, Modi “brought shame to the Indian nation” due to his personality-driven politics.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the awards given to Modi raised serious questions about the politics of “manufactured prestige” in India.
“When foreign awards are created days before a visit, when certificates have basic spelling errors, and when the recipient becomes the first and only awardee, the strategy of image management becomes an embarrassment,” he wrote in a post on X.
According to Tarar, the ruling BJP has “sold such honours” as proof of India’s global recognition, despite pursuing hate-driven politics at home.
“While [Modi] collect ceremonial awards abroad, ordinary Indians will continue to face serious problems at home,” he said.
