Mumbai: American news magazine TIME’s May 20 issue carries a controversial headline with a caricature of Prime Minister Narendra Modi – ‘India's Divider in Chief’.
The title, which has come bang in the middle of hectic elections in the country, has the strap: “Can the World's Largest Democracy Endure Another Five Years of a Modi Government?"
Another story in the same issue lists the achievements of Modi as the leader of India and calls him India's best hope for economic reform.
TIME has headlined two previous issues on Modi as cover in the last five years. In 2012, TIME carried the cover lead titled ‘Modi Means Business’. It described him as a “controversial, ambitious and shrewd politician”.
In 2015, the magazine wrote another cover on the Prime Minister titled: 'Can Modi Deliver?'.
The Twitterati is divided in opinion on the latest TIME cover.
Here are a few reactions:
Falling Man—Time Magazine and Modi separated over seven years: March 2012, May 2015, and May 2019. THEN AND NOW pic.twitter.com/ieUrlXQgEs
— Vinod K. Jose (@vinodjose) May 9, 2019
Taking the ill-famous ''tukde-tukde'' slogan into his post, Youtuber Dhruv Rathee said:
Reality of Modi exposed by Two Time Magazine Covers
— Dhruv Rathee (@dhruv_rathee) May 10, 2019
2015: Can Modi Deliver?
2019: India's Divider in Chief
This is what has changed in 5 years. From a hope for Indians, he has become what his supporters would call the Tukde Tukde Chief - a man who divided India. pic.twitter.com/mNHiPfnqcX
''You are worst of all'', says anther user:
What a disgrace. What a fall.@narendramodi you are worst of all.... pic.twitter.com/oTQQzhBfAg
— RAKESH CHAVAN (@raakeshchavan) May 10, 2019
However, some netizens extended unconditional support to Prime Minister despite the changing stances of the international magazine.
Calling it a propoganda, this user tweeted:
This Time issue has 2 articles for 2 perspectives. An unbiased publisher would give equal weightage to both perspectives
— लगà¤à¤— Saree Ninja (@saree_ninja) May 10, 2019
But 'India's Divider in chief' makes it to the cover in bold and the other piece 'Modi the reformer' gets only a tiny unnoticeable mention.Why the propoganda? https://t.co/i4tLkjivZ5
''We are loving it'', tweets this user:
Oh Yes..and we are LOVING IT. Some Examples -1.Demonetisation 2.GST 3.India at the world power table 4.Force modernisation https://t.co/UvL0SDwQOV Corruption https://t.co/bHMbJJSxCj's 6 largest economy 7.Fastest growing large economy 8.Max FDI 9.125 mn homes for poor and muchmore
— Last Bench ka Chowkidar 🇮🇳 (@LastBench_) May 10, 2019
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