A pause in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s special video conference presentation to the World Economic Forum’s online Davos Agenda 2022 summit split social media, with some claiming it was a teleprompter breakdown – and tweeting with the hashtag #teleprompterPM – and others debating what caused it.
A few minutes into the speech, which was being translated live from Hindi to English for the audience at Davos – Modi turns to his left, speaks a few more words, then pauses speaking and looks left again. In Hindi, a member of his staff asks him to inquire if the Davos audience can hear him.
He then stares directly into the camera, lifts his arms like he always does when speaking, and tries to say something but fails to do so. He was quiet for a total of 10 seconds. He then connects an earphone and asks (in Hindi) whether he is audible.
So what happened? Several people on Twitter, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, linked the prime minister’s inability to continue speaking to a potential teleprompter malfunction.
इतना झूठ Teleprompter भी नहीं झेल पाया।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 18, 2022
Great PROMPTORATOR , Unplugged 🤣#TeleprompterPM pic.twitter.com/VvXSgJzs4w
— Vinay Kumar Dokania🇮🇳 (@VinayDokania) January 18, 2022
It is unlikely that PM had a teleprompter gaffe. If you look at the WEF version of the recording of his speech, someone in the background says, "Sir aap unse ek baar pooche ki sab jud gaye kya". This portion is not clear in the video live-streamed on PM's YouTube channel.
— Pratik Sinha (@free_thinker) January 17, 2022
1/n pic.twitter.com/wkBnLom083
.@RahulGandhi has been proved right, once again. #TeleprompterPM pic.twitter.com/UHW9HUKWyx
— Ruchira Chaturvedi (@RuchiraC) January 17, 2022
Worst nightmare of @narendramodi #TELEPROMPTER FAILURE 🥶 #TeleprompterPM pic.twitter.com/Ue3vNMIPT0
— இசை (@isai_) January 18, 2022
Jokes apart, but the person holding topmost chair in the country, couldn’t even utter a single word as soon as the #Teleprompter went off. This is when oratory skills were considered his biggest forte.
— Mayank Saxena (@mayank_sxn) January 17, 2022
Goes on to show how the whole country was fooled.#TeleprompterPM pic.twitter.com/CUvHeUaQUN
Here is WEF version of PM Modi's speech, someone in the background says, "Sir aap unse ek baar poochen, ki sab jud gaye kya?".
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) January 17, 2022
Doesn't look like it's teleprompter issue. Later in his 20 min speech, He doesn't look sideways. TP could be at the front.pic.twitter.com/zVUqhEU5rH
