Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the Indian administrated Kashmir witnessed an unprecedented feat.
In his visit to the valley on February 3, the Prime Minister was seen waving from a boat during his cruise in the world-famous Dal Lake. But whom was he waving at left netizens wondering?
A video shot by a news agency, ANI, which accompanied the Prime Minister to the Lake during his one-day visit to the valley and posted on its Twitter handle, shows Modi waving around cheerfully. Unfortunately, ‘no one’ was seen in the video waving back at the Prime Minister.
#WATCH Jammu & Kashmir: Prime Minister Narendra Modi tours Dal lake in Srinagar. pic.twitter.com/EwEJFfuowV
— ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2019
‘Then Who Was He Waving At?’ Is The Question That The ‘Nation Wants To Know’.
The 64-second video shows security men guarding the prime minister, some in his boat and some in nearby vessels. However, no civilian can be seen in the video anywhere.
Again, Who Was He Waving At?
People across the valley were under lockdown, hardly any movement on the road edging the Dal Lake over a compass of several kilometers and internet services were snapped during the Prime Minister’s visit.
A former president of House Boat Owners Associations, who requested anonymity, said the security was so tight that “not even a bird was allowed to fly.”
Modi waving at no one across the Dal Lake prompted a relentless backlash from political leaders and Twitterati.
Opposition leaders didn’t spare a chance to comment on the video.
The Indian National Congress tweeted the video saying “Modiji waving at all the youths he’s given jobs to.”
Modiji waving at all the youth he's given jobs to.#ModiSeNaHoPayega pic.twitter.com/w0xeeMXimG
— Congress (@INCIndia) February 5, 2019
Some said he was waving to geese, pochards, gadwalls, wigeons, shovellers, ruddy shelducks, and other migratory birds arrived from far-off lands maintaining their centuries-old tryst with Kashmir.
Those trolling PM Modi on social media for “waving at nothing” during his boat-ride in Srinagar's Dal Lake on Sunday are forgetting that the water body is currently visited by thousands of migratory birds. And no curbs had been imposed on them as part of tight security bandobast.
— YusufJameelیوسف جمیل (@jameelyusuf) February 4, 2019
Jammu And Kashmir’s former Cheif Minister Mehbooba Mufti took a jibe at the prime minister Narendra Modi for waving at “imaginary friends in Kashmir” during the boat ride.
For the those who are asking , the 👋 is for BJPs countless imaginary ‘friends’ in Kashmir. https://t.co/l0YPq2oiVy
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) February 4, 2019
Former Chief Minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah tweeted “there is no way the PM would be waving at an empty lake.”
This camera person has done the Hon PM a huge disservice by not showing all the people furiously waving back because there is no way the PM would be waving at an empty lake. https://t.co/YJoEfX8DJ3
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) February 4, 2019
Soon, media persons would have confirmed it form the prime minister itself that whether he was waving at the ‘migrant birds’, ‘youths he has provided jobs to’ or ‘imaginary friends’ but sadly he’s the first prime minister of India (the world’s largest democracy) who has never held a press conference.