India: Narendra Modi mocked on Twitter after the show "Man vs. Wild "

• Tweeter

• republish

The Indian Prime Minister was in the show "Man vs. Wild "for a big promotion operation, but it was widely mocked on social networks. REUTERS / Adnan Abidi

In India, the appearance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the show " Man vs. Wild 'from the Discovery Channel has provoked many reactions in the media and social networks. Supposedly promoting the defense of the environment in India, the episode has been widely mocked, denounced as a vain communication operation.

In Man vs. Wild , we see Indian Prime Minister Modi walking in the tall grass of the Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve, at the foot of the Himalayan mountains, with Bear Grylls, the British host of this show watched around the world. . There are very few animals, and Mr. Modi, who is supposed to promote the preservation of the environment, speaks mostly of himself, of his youth, of the modest conditions in which he grew up.

Apart from making a homemade spear to protect against a tiger attack, the Indian Prime Minister seems primarily concerned to remind Bear Grylls but especially the millions of viewers that he is a simple man, humble and especially that he is " never afraid ". The show contributes above all to the cult of the personality of Mr. Modi, whose government also has a very bad track record in the protection of the environment.

Watch PM Shri @narendramodi and @BearGrylls on #ManVSWild as they venture into India's wilderness to raise awareness about environment and animals.

Do tune in to @DiscoveryIN at 9 pm, 12 August! #PMModionDiscovery pic.twitter.com/vNKKtIFRwI

The reactions were not long on Twitter, or many memes (kind of parody images) were posted, making fun of the navel of Narendra Modi. A user claiming that Bear Grylls, who is known for his ability to survive in a hostile wilderness, was " gaily waiting to eat a grasshopper " while Mr. Modi was telling his story.

People looking for wildlife in this episode of #ManVsWild pic.twitter.com/OL9ZIiLdeK

Several Indian news sites like India Today , scroll.in or firstpost.com have titled on these memes and the pompous staging of the episode. Many images and videos posted on twitter also make fun of the channel Discovery, for whom this episode is above all, according to them, a boon in terms of audience. The chain has not been totally hidden. Before the broadcast, the hashtag #PMModiOnDiscovery had been used more than 1.2 million times, a record for Discovery on the platform.

►Also read: With Modi, Hindu nationalism consolidates its grip on Indian society

There are still no audience figures, but the show has been broadcast in more than 180 countries. The teaser posted on YouTube before the broadcast of the show Monday night to him, already nearly 17 million views . This is a big blow for the channel, but especially for Mr. Modi, known before this operation as a master of communication. Despite the jokes on Twitter, he should increase his popularity with his fellow citizens with this episode.