Selfies, hugs and howdy… 20 of PM Modi’s most viral moments
It’s Narendra Modi’s 75th birthday. Here are 20 of his most viral moments, from selfies with the Khans to laughs with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping
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The BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi takes a ‘selfie’ after casting his vote at a polling station in Ahmedabad on April 30, 2014. This selfie became a noteworthy moment, as it showcased his understanding of the power of social media. File image/AFP
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Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi prostrates after arriving at the first step of the Parliament building in New Delhi on May 20, 2014. He later recalled this very moment, saying: “First time when I entered parliament as MP, I bowed my head and it was an emotional moment. I had never imagined a man who spent his life on the railway platform will become PM of the country, but this is the strength of the Indian democracy.” File image/AFP
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif after taking oath at the presidential palace in New Delhi on May 26, 2014. Modi was sworn in as India’s prime minister in an elaborate ceremony at New Delhi’s resplendent presidential palace. File image/Reuters
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Months after taking office, PM Modi had a rockstar moment when he addressed the Indian crowds in the US at New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden. This was during his first trip to America since being elected and the US lifting the ban on him. File image/Reuters
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Shortly after taking office the first time, in 2014, PM Modi did the unthinkable: he picked up a broom and joined thousands in inaugurating the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan mission. Modi chose the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi to launch the five-year drive to clean public spaces in a bid to change India’s image as one of the filthiest countries in the world. File image/PTI
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In his second year in power, PM Modi once again visited the United States – this time travelling to California, namely Facebook campus at Menlo Park. In a FB Townhall with founder Mark Zuckerberg, Modi shared candid moments from his childhood and early life. File image/AFP
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has many talents. Perhaps, even playing the drums. In 2016, he exhibited his musical prowess when he and Tanzania’s President John Magufuli play drums at State House in Dar es Salaam during the Indian leader’s third leg of a five-day African trip, designed to underline India’s growing engagement with the continent. File image/AFP
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the bicycle gifted to him by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in The Hague, Netherlands in 2017. File image/PTI
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In 2019, US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the “Howdy, Modi!” event at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. Tens of thousands of Indian-Americans converged for this unusual joint rally by Donald Trump and Narendra Modi, a visible symbol of the bond between the nationalist-minded leaders. File image/AFP
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As PM, Narendra Modi hobnobs with all different types of people. And it was in October 2019, when PM Modi met the two biggest Khans in India – Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan at an event to mark Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary year. And how does one commemorate such a moment? With a selfie, of course! File image/@narendramodi/X
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When Covid-19 struck India, PM Modi led by example. He lit a lamp to express solidarity with people of the country in the fight against Covid-19 pandemic, in New Delhi. File image/narendramodi.com
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Amid the battle against Covid-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi received his first dose of coronavirus vaccine at Delhi’s All India Institutes of Medical Sciences. Sister P Niveda, from Puducherry, administered Bharat Biotech’s COVAXIN to the prime minister. File image
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In December 2021, PM Modi inaugurated the first phase of the Kashi Vishwanath Dham, a significant moment in India’s history. At the event, Addressing the gathering, Modi lauded the civilisational heritage of Varanasi, and said many sultanates rose and collapsed but Varanasi remained. File image
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PM Modi is also an animal lover. In his tenure, he has carried out multiple animal conservation projects. One instance is the cheetah reintroduction programme in 2022. A group of eight cats from Namibia were released into Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday. File image/PTI
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes a sortie on the Tejas, in Bengaluru in 2023. File image/PTI
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PM Modi shares great ties with other world leaders. For instance, his friendship with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has even spawned a viral trend – Melodi. Here’s the two of them taking a selfie at the COP28 UAE, in Dubai in 2023. File image/PTI
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi consoles Indian cricketer Mohammed Shami during a meeting with the team in the dressing room at the Narendra Modi Stadium after India suffered a heartbreaking loss to Australia in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. File image/PTI
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi prostrates before Lord Ram at the Ram temple, in Ayodhya following its inauguration in early 2024. File image/PTI
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Narendra Modi takes the Oath of Office and Secrecy of the prime minister of India, during the swearing-in ceremony, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on June 09, 2024. This was after winning a third consecutive term in office. File image/PTI
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This single image could sum up 2025. Amid a trade war with the US, Prime Minister Narendra Modi shares a laugh with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi jinping ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organsation (SCO) Summit 2025 at the Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Centre in Tianjin, China. File image/AFP
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