Modi's overseas awards draw fresh controversy in India:report

Islamabad (Web Desk): Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's latest international honour has triggered political controversy after he received a newly introduced award during his recent state visit to Seychelles.

According to a report published by the British newspaper The Guardian, Modi was presented with the "Guardian of the Blue Horizon" award by Seychelles President Patrick Herminie shortly after arriving in the Indian Ocean island nation.

India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) described the recognition as a proud moment for the country, saying it reflected international appreciation of Modi's environmental leadership.

However, the award soon came under criticism after opposition leaders and political observers highlighted several irregularities. They noted that the honour had reportedly been established only three days before Modi's visit, making him its inaugural and only recipient.

Critics also pointed to errors in the award certificate, including the misspelling of "Republic" as "Repubblic" and "Seychelles" as "Seycheeles." Online assessments further claimed that the document appeared to have been generated using artificial intelligence.

The opposition Congress party questioned the credibility of the award and accused the prime minister of actively seeking international recognition.

Congress leader Supriya Shrinate mocked the episode in a social media post, saying, "Give him any award, and he'll come running," while claiming officials had rushed the process so much that they even failed to correctly spell the name of the host country.

Responding to the criticism, Seychelles' Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified that an unapproved working draft of the certificate had mistakenly been released. It said an officially approved version had since been prepared and insisted that the "Guardian of the Blue Horizon" is a legitimate national honour.

Political analysts say international awards have increasingly become a recurring feature of Prime Minister Modi's overseas engagements during his 12 years in office.

Author and political biographer Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay said the practice appears aimed at reinforcing Modi's image among domestic supporters by portraying him as a leader with exceptional international standing, linking India's growing global influence to his personal leadership.

The latest controversy follows similar instances during previous foreign visits. Earlier this year, Israel's parliament introduced the Medal of the Knesset, which was presented to Modi during his visit, making him its first and only recipient.

Observers have also cited earlier honours that followed a similar pattern. In 2019, Modi received India's newly established Philip Kotler Presidential Award, which was intended to become an annual recognition for world leaders. However, no further recipients have been announced, and the award's official website has since become inactive.

During the past year, Modi has also become the first foreign head of state to receive Ethiopia's Great Honour Nishan and the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.