The unusual appearance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has millions of followers on social media, in a television show has evoked deep interest and numerous reactions.
After releasing the All India Tiger Estimation Report 2018 on Monday, and declaring the country to be one of the vastest and safest habitats for tigers globally, Prime Minister Modi will now join famed British survival instructor Edward Michael Grylls in a Discovery Channel series.
Modi will be seen exploring India's dense forests to generate public awareness about animal conservation and environmental change.
A section of netizens hailed Prime Minister Modi for showcasing this alternative side of his personality.
The first episode of this special Man vs Wild series is scheduled to air at 9 p.m. (IST) on 12 August.
Some other netizens,however, recalled allegations made by the opposition Congress party that Prime Minister Modi had continued to take part in the film shoot in the Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand state on 14 February, hours after a suicide bomber had killed 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama region.
The UN in India also revealed news of Prime Minister Modi’s planned television appearance.
On Monday, Prime Minister Modi lauded all stakeholders involved in India’s tiger conservation program, saying the country now has a tiger population of around 3,000, which is a significant improvement over the 1,400 tigers it had in 2014.
As one of the biggest and safest habitats for tigers in the world, Modi said India must continue with its tiger conservation efforts.