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Did PM Modi say India sells 2.5 crore cars annually? How misreporting of his speech at Bharat Mobility Global Expo triggered outrage

Even as social media users are outraged over supposed misleading claims made by PM Modi, it is notable to mention that PM Modi never used the word "cars" to assert India was selling 2.5 crore cars annually. He used "gaadiya", a Hindi word that translates to vehicles, which includes 2-wheelers, three-wheelers, passenger and commercial vehicles.

On Friday, January 17, PM Modi inaugurated the second edition of the Bharat Mobility Global Expo in New Delhi, highlighting the giant strides made by India in manufacturing and selling vehicles.

While highlighting the potential of youth and boundless opportunities in India, PM Modi asked the auto industry to focus on both “ecology and economy” in a bid to push for greener mobility through developments in the field of electrics, hydrogen cells, and biofuels. 

PM Modi also emphasised the remarkable growth of vehicle sales in India, topping to an annual sale of 2.5 crore vehicles, which, he added, was greater than the population of several countries. However, no sooner did Modi complete his speech, than he was subjected to a barrage of online attacks spurred by news reports that quoted him saying that India saw a sale of 2.5 crore “cars” annually. 

A report published by ANI quoted PM Modi saying that India was selling more than 2.5 crore “cars” every year. 

The outlandish claim that India sold 2.5 crore cars annually instantly triggered an outrage on social media platforms, with many using the occasion to have a go at the Prime Minister, the man who is responsible for bringing Congress to its knees by exposing its policy flaws, encouragement to nepotistic culture, minority appeasement and ideological bankruptcy.

Naturally, Congress trolls champing at the bit of attacking the Prime Minister and frustrated with their leader’s inability to articulate an inspiring vision to attract voters had an opportunity to vent their spleen against their nemesis and outrage over something that the PM never said. 

Harmeet Kaur, a self-proclaimed Congress supporter, took to X to attack the Prime Minister after ANI misquoted him. 

Several other social media users, including Congress supporters, attacked the Prime Minister for allegedly claiming that India was selling 2.5 crore cars annually. 

Did PM Modi say India sells 2.5 crore cars annually?

Even as social media users are outraged over supposed misleading claims made by PM Modi, it is notable to mention that PM Modi never used the word “cars” to assert India was selling 2.5 crore cars annually. He used “gaadiya” or vehicles, which included 2-wheelers, three-wheelers, passenger and commercial vehicles.

“The population of many countries of the world is not as much as the number of vehicles being sold in India every year. Nearly 2.5 crore vehicles are being sold in a year. It shows how the demand is constantly increasing. This shows why India is being looked up to with so much hope when it comes to the future of mobility,” PM Modi said at the event.

An X user who goes by the handle @BefittingFacts pointed out the misreporting by ANI, which led to troll attacks against PM Modi. He also shared the video of the instance to emphasise PM Modi had referred to vehicles and not cars alone.

Another X user pointed out that Modi said vehicles and not cars and that 1.9 crore two-wheelers, 7 lakh three-wheelers, and 43 lakh passenger vehicles were sold in India in 2023-24.

India sold around 2.38 crore vehicles in the financial year 2024, reported Statista, an online platform that specialises in gathering data and visualisation.

Thus, Modi’s remark at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo was misreported and it was about the total vehicular sales in India, and not just cars alone.

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OpIndia Staff
OpIndia Staffhttps://www.opindia.com
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