Times Now runs news on Modi as ‘biggest contender for Nobel peace prize’; Nobel committee member says ‘fake’

Deputy leader of the Norwegian Nobel Committee Asle Toje who is on a visit to India, dismissed media reports claiming he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the “biggest contender” for the Nobel Peace Prize.

'Misquoting' Toje, Times Now has put out fake news on Modi as the ‘biggest contender for Nobel peace prize on Thursday. Toje called out the report as 'fake'.

“It’s fake. Let’s not give it energy or oxygen. I categorically deny that I said anything resembling the same," he said.

“And I am here in India to talk about your politics and development. That said, I am the deputy leader of the Nobel committee. A fake news tweet was sent out and we should treat it as fake news. It's fake,” added Toje.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Toje said he was in India not as a deputy leader of the esteemed committee, but as a director of International Peace and Understanding and as a friend of India Center Foundation (ICF). He stressed that a "fake news tweet was sent out and we should treat it as fake news."

India Center Foundation (ICF) is a Delhi-based not-for-profit organisation. Toje, however, lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for reminding Russian President Vladimir Putin that "this is not the era of war."

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement that 'this is not the era of war' was an expression of hope. India has given signals that this is not how we should resolve world disputes today. PM Modi has the worth majority of the world's population behind him," ANI quoted him as saying.

ICF chairman Vibhav K. Upadhyay said that Times Now had misquoted Toje, reported The Print. Upadhyay hoped it was picked by TV channels “by mistake or by extra enthusiasm”, adding that it is criminal if it was done “by design”.

Times Now editor Rahul Shivshankar also tweeted the false quote about Modi being the “biggest contender” for the award on Thursday. But he later issued a clarificatipn on Twitter saying : "Deputy Leader of the Nobel Prize Committee Asle Toje has praised PM's global peacemaking efforts but has made it clear that he hasn't endorsed him as a contender for the Nobel Peace Prize. Clarification comes after it was widely reported that he had done so."