Aaj Tak’s prime-time anchor made a blunder on air on Thursday night while announcing the demise of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as she nearly declared PM Modi dead. However, she corrected herself immediately after realising the mistake.
While showing AIIMS Delhi’s press statement confirming the reports of Singh’s death, the Aaj Tak anchor said, “We are showing you the press release from AIIMS, in which it has been stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the age of 92—former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh died at the age of 92.”
Watch the video here:
What makes the incident humorous is that the same anchor had previously been trolled for a TV report claiming the presence of a chip to track Rs 2,000 notes.
This time, too, netizens did not spare her, and she was heavily trolled. While some mocked the channel for its alleged servility towards the incumbent central government, others jokingly wondered what the “channel was smoking.”
Here are a few humorous tweets/memes that stood out:
Singh, the architect of India’s economic reforms, died on Thursday night. He was 92 years old. He was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) following a deterioration in his health.
He was India’s Prime Minister as the head of the Congress-led UPA government for two terms from 2004 to 2014.
The news of Dr. Singh’s death was confirmed by the AIIMS in a statement that read: “With profound grief, we inform the demise of former Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh aged 92. He was being treated for age-related medical conditions and had a sudden loss of consciousness at home on December 26. Resuscitative measures were started immediately at home. He was brought to the medical emergency at AIIMS. Despite all efforts, he could not be revived and was declared dead at 9.51 p.m.”
Singh was known for his transformative role in steering India’s economy through a period of significant liberalisation.