Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to feature in an upcoming episode of popular British show Man vs Wild, hosted by renowned adventurer Bear Grylls.
Grylls confirmed the news on Twitter as he shared the trailer.
The episode will air on Discovery Channel India on 12 August at 9 pm.
‘I Was Both Intrigued & Inclined to Take Part in Man vs Wild’: Modi
Speaking about the show, Modi told Discovery Channel, “For years, I have lived among nature, in the mountains and the forests. These years have a lasting impact on my life. So when I was asked about a special programme focussing on life beyond politics and that too in the midst of nature I was both intrigued and inclined to take part in it.”
“For me, this show presents a great opportunity to showcase to the world India’s rich environmental heritage and stress on the importance of environment conservation and living in harmony with nature. It was a great experience spending time in the jungle once again, this time with Bear, who is blessed with indefatigable energy and quest to experience nature at its purest.”PM Modi
Moments after the announcement, PM Modi in a reply to Grylls’ tweet thanked the British TV star for coming to India.
Grylls Had Visited India Around Pulwama Terror Attack
In January this year, Grylls had announced that he was coming to India soon to “shoot something very special.”
According to The Indian Express, Grylls’ social media activity showed that he was spotted near the Jim Corbett tiger reserve in Uttarakhand’s Dhikala around 14 February – the day of the Pulwama terror attack. Around the same time, the Uttarakhand Forest Department had cancelled all tourist bookings for the Dhikala forest due to PM Modi’s visit to the state, the report added.
PM Faced Flak for ‘PR Shoot’ During Pulwama Attack
Modi’s visit to Uttarakhand in February had raised a lot of eyebrows with Opposition parties who criticised him for shooting a “propaganda and publicity” documentary during and right after the terror attack that killed 40 CRPF jawans.
Questions were raised not only about his whereabouts, but also a possible delay in his public condemnation of the attack.
On this, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, during an interaction with the media, had said that it was “shameful” attack on PM Modi, and that he was in Uttarakhand on the day of Pulwama attack as part of an “official programme related to tiger conservation.”
Though this will be PM Modi’s first appearance on the show, Grylls has previously collaborated with other global politicians, including former US President Barack Obama.
On Sunday, 28 July, Grylls had teased PM Modi’s appearance on ‘Man vs Wild’ on Twitter.
(With inputs from The Indian Express)
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