# Modi Chalisa at Press Club sparks row, club denies organising it 2026-08-20T13:38:04+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets An event at the Press Club of India in New Delhi on Thursday featured the worship of a Prime Minister Narendra Modi statue and recitation of the 'Modi Chalisa', with chants of 'Jai-Jai Modi'. Videos of the event circulated on social media, drawing criticism. The Press Club of India clarified on X that it had not organised the event. It said the hall was hired by an organisation for a press conference, but when the terms were violated, club authorities intervened and stopped it. Rajan Singh, organiser and vice-president of the Bihar State Transgender Welfare Board, told PTI that he plans to build a Rs 112 crore temple for PM Modi on five acres in Bihar. He justified the deification by crediting Modi for transgender rights, though the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Act has faced criticism from other quarters. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Both sources report the same core facts: the Press Club distanced itself and the event was stopped. The Times of India leads with the spectacle of the 'Modi Chalisa' and the club's swift clarification, framing it primarily as a breach of rental terms. Rediff.com, while carrying the PTI wire, adds the organiser's detailed justification and his plans for a Rs 112 crore temple, giving space to the political argument behind the act. Neither outlet editorialises, the difference lies in depth. Rediff.com's inclusion of the organiser's claims provides context that the ToI piece omits. The measured takeaway is that the event was unauthorised and stopped, but the organiser's stated motives and the criticism of the transgender rights law remain part of the ongoing story. Watch for whether the Press Club revises its booking policies or if the temple project moves forward. ## Coverage Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral - timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report) Reports the event and the Press Club's denial without adding commentary or context - rediff.com (neutral report) Carries PTI wire and includes organiser's justification and temple plan This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above. Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources. Last updated 2026-08-20T14:12:08+00:00. Tags: Narendra Modi, New Delhi, Press Club of India Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/modi-chalisa-at-press-club-of-india-sparks-row-club-disowns-event/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/modi-chalisa-at-press-club-of-india-sparks-row-club-disowns-event/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/