- Monday, March 03, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
Hours after media reports on Thursday (16) quoted Asle Toje, deputy leader of the Nobel Prize Committee, as saying that prime minister Narendra Modi is “biggest contender for the Nobel Peace Prize”, the former denied them.
The reports also suggested the official saying that India is becoming a wealthy and influential nation under Modi’s leadership.
Speaking to Asian News International, Toje said a fake news tweet was sent out and urged everybody not to give it “energy or oxygen”.
“I categorically deny that I said anything resembling what was in the tweet,” Toje was quoted as saying.
According to a Zee News report, when Toje was asked about Modi as a contender for the Nobel Prize in peace, the official said that any leader in the world should aspire for the peace prize.
He said any leader should try to do more for peace in the world to deserve the award.
Toje is the deputy leader of the Norwegian Nobel Committee which is the decision-making body for the prestigious prize for peace.
He is currently on a tour of India.
Toje, who is a foreign policy scholar, appreciated India’s efforts in reminding Russia over using nuclear weapons in the ongoing war in Ukraine and said the world needs more such intervention in global politics.
“India’s intervention to remind Russia of the consequences of using nuclear weapons was very helpful,” Toje was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
“India didn’t speak in a loud voice, didn’t threaten anybody, they just made their position known in a friendly manner. We need more of that in International politics,” he added.
