- Seychelles awards “Guardian of the Blue Horizon” award to Modi.
- The certificate of recognition misspells “Republic” and “Seychelles”.
- PM Modi ‘shames the Indian nation’: Khawaja Asif.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has come under fire following a report claiming that multiple awards and honors he received during his foreign visits were created shortly before his arrival in the respective host countries.
The controversy came to light after Modi received one of Seychelles’ “highest” honors during his recent visit to the Indian Ocean archipelago, according to a report in British publication The Guardian.
Seychelles President Patrick Herminie presented the Indian Prime Minister with the Guardian of the Blue Horizon award, along with a trophy and certificate, according to the statement.
However, social media users were quick to point out errors on the certificate, including the misspelling of “Republic” and “Seychelles”.
According to the publication, the award was 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 award, and he will come forward,” wrote Congress politician Supriya Shrinate in an article on X.
“They were in such a hurry that they even got the official name of the Republic of Seychelles wrong,” she added.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, defended the recognition, saying it was a “proud moment for India”.
The Seychelles Ministry of Foreign Affairs later blamed the incident on a clerical error, saying “the Guardian of the Blue Horizon award is genuine.”
This, however, 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 claims is one of the country’s highest honors and bestowed it on Modi upon his arrival. The Indian Prime Minister remains the only recipient to date, according to the report.
Last year, Modi became the first foreign head of state to receive the Ethiopian Nishan Grand Honor and the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
Reacting to the report on the honours, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said “artificial recognition” was either “the worst form of cheap popularity or the most malicious gratification”.
“Awards created days before arrival, certificates printed using a cheap AI model, obvious spelling mistakes, then [Modi] becoming the first and only recipient,” he wrote in an article on X.
According to the defense czar, Modi “shamed the Indian nation” because of his personality-driven policies.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Modi’s awards 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 mistakes, and when the recipient becomes the first and only winner, the image management strategy becomes embarrassing,” he wrote in an article on X.
According to Tarar, the ruling BJP has “sold such honours” as proof of India’s global recognition, despite promoting hate-motivated policies at home.
“While [Modi] collects ceremonial awards abroad, ordinary Indians continue to face serious problems at home,” he said.
