Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred the 'Guardian of the Blue Horizon' award by Seychelles on June 28, 2026. The award was created just four days prior, on June 24, 2026, and had never been given to anyone before. Modi accepted the honour, dedicating it to countries fighting climate change.
Opposition Criticism
Congress leader Supriya Shrinate alleged that the award was hurriedly created for Modi, tweeting: "The world has figured Modi out. Give him any award, and he'll come running." She noted the award's recent establishment and rushed process, including a misspelt certificate.
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra criticized Modi's love for awards and foreign travel, linking the honour to Indian financial aid. She stated: "He used our money to give ₹500 crores grant & ₹1250 crore line of credit to Seychelles who happily gave him a misspelt certificate."
Modi's Response
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Modi expressed gratitude: "Grateful to the people and Government of Seychelles as well as President Herminie for conferring upon me the 'Guardian of the Blue Horizon.' I humbly accept this honour and dedicate it to all those countries that are fighting the challenge of climate change."
Financial Context
According to Moitra's allegations, India provided a grant of ₹500 crore and a line of credit worth ₹1,250 crore to Seychelles. The timing of the award, created shortly before Modi's visit, has raised questions about the motivations behind the honour.
