A day after Reliance Industries’ Mukesh Ambani kicked-off his company’s ambitious telecom venture aiming to put India on the global map for mobile broadband Internet access, Delhiites and Mumbaiites woke up to full front-page advertisements of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in what appeared to be an advertising campaign for Reliance Jio.
indiatoday
It was neither a party advertisement, nor was it a government advertisement.
PM Modi’s image was used to draw connect between the Prime Minister and his Digital India programme to Reliance’s plans for their new network, Jio.
Following the ad, JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said for the advertisement in Mukesh Ambani’s company, PM Modi is now included in the list of actors such as Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan and Hema Malini.
JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar oneindia
He said it looks like the prime minister is indirectly promoting Ambani’s company.
Kumar said in a country where 75 crore people go for open defecation, 25 crore families are BPL, and every day 20 crore people sleep hungry, how come ‘Jio’ will bring a revolution.
bgr
He asked the prime minister should answer whether the 20 crore people need food or mobiles.
The advertisement said, “In the journey of time, there come a few life changing moments. Our honourable Prime Minister’s inspiring vision of a Digital India is one such movement. Jio is dedicated to realising our Prime Minister’s Digital India vision for 1.2 billion Indians. Jio Digital Life will give the power of data to each Indian, to fulfill every dream and collectively take India to the global digital leadership…”
Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani yourstory
The ad has led to some even wondering whether the Prime Minister was the brand ambassador of Reliance Jio.
It also led to a Twitter storm:
मोदी जी। आप रिलायंस के ऐड में मॉडलिंग करते रहना। देश की सारी लेबर मिलके आपको 2019 में सबक़ सिखाएगी
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) September 2, 2016
PM as Mr Reliance https://t.co/0nv2DZBws2
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) September 2, 2016
pic.twitter.com/hbAkn3zPG9
— Shabnam hashmi (@ShabnamHashmi) September 4, 2016
Who is this clown? Bio claims he’s some kind of editor for @aajtak apparently. Explains a lot. https://t.co/IBlUY0F2S1
— Krishan Partap Singh (@RaisinaSeries) September 3, 2016
The PM allowing his photo to be used in a Reliance Jio ad was certainly not… https://t.co/GysBw3xhA5 by @Patel_Hardik14 via @c0nvey
— Narendra Modi (@2002KaHero) September 3, 2016
If you ask me…majority of Indians don’t care on Modi’s appearance in Reliance Jio Ad…and Modi will rightly ignore the noise
— Deepak Singh (@smarket) September 3, 2016
Only @AamAadmiParty and their leaders have courage to say against
#Relianceसेल्समैनModi https://t.co/nAJ5SsPa30
— Anurag Pandey (@anak2422anak) September 2, 2016
Not just print ad, reliance is using PM’s Lal quila speech to promote jio on TV.. this is not done @PMOIndia @narendramodi
— अंकित (@indiantweeter) September 2, 2016