Was PM Modi at 'Discovery' shoot during Pulwama attack?

Was Prime Minister Narendra Modi deep inside Jim Corbett National Park for a Discovery Channel shoot when the Pulwama terrorist attack killed 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans? Was he informed about the attack and did he continue the shoot?

The Congress charge that Modi did not halt the shoot has come back to haunt, with Monday's release of a promotional video by Discovery Channel on the special episode featuring the Prime Minister. The Pulwama attack had occurred at 3.10 pm while the shoot ended around 7 pm.

The episode of 'Man Vs Wild' featuring Modi and renowned survivalist-adventurer Bear Grylls is all set for a worldwide release in 180 countries on August 12. Bút the question has quickly shifted to when Modi was informed about the attack that left India and Pakistan on the brink of a deadly war.

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At a press conference on February 21, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala had repeated the charge: “When the nation was in shock after the Pulwama terror attack, PM Narendra Modi was shooting a documentary on a boat ride with till evening.”

Surjewala was quoted as saying: “After the shoot, he stopped for refreshments in the circuit house when the nation was mourning the death of its soldiers. It is terrible that our jawans were martyred and PM Modi was busy in his publicity, photoshoot and tea-snacks.”

When ex Congress President Rahul Gandhi reiterated the allegation, Bharatiya Janatha Party (BJP) hit back through its official Twitter handle: “Rahul Ji, India is tired of your fake news. Stop sharing photos from that morning to shamelessly mislead the nation.”

Then came a counter-charge by the BJP: “Maybe you knew in advance of the attack but people of India got to know in the evening. Try a better stunt next time, where sacrifice of soldiers isn’t involved.”

On Monday, when a teaser video by Discovery Channel on the 'Man Vs Wild' special episode went viral on multiple social media platforms, many recalled the Pulwama controversy. But the spotlight stayed on Modi's adventures in the wild, sparking Memes galore.