A 2023 Times Now interview of Norwegian foreign policy scholar Asle Toje has resurfaced with a false claim that it shows the deputy leader of the Nobel Committee saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the biggest contender for the Nobel Peace Prize.
BOOM debunked the claim in 2023 and found that the Indian news outlet had grossly misquoted Toje and attributed to him a remark he did not make. We had also reached out to Olav Njølstad, Director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, who clarified that Toje never made any such statement.
In the opening segment of the viral Times Now bulletin, the anchor claims that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the leading contender for the Nobel Peace Prize, attributing the comment to Toje. In the interview featured in the bulletin, Toje is heard praising Modi’s leadership and highlighting India’s role as a global peace broker.
The bulletin has resurfaced amid reports of US President Trump expressing his wish to win the upcoming Nobel Peace Prize.
The Claim
A verified X user shared the video with the caption, "Deputy Leader of Nobel Peace Prize says, "PM Narendra Modi is the biggest contender for the Nobel Peace Prize." Click here to view the post and here for an archive.
What We Found: Toje Never Made Any Such Statement
1. No Such Comment By Toje: We found that Toje was interviewed on March 14, 2023, at the Alternative Development Model and Peace event in Delhi. When asked by reporters if Modi was a contender for the Nobel Peace Prize, he replied, "I hope every leader in every nation is inspired to do the work that is necessary to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize." At no point did Toje say that Modi was being considered. We also checked other interviews Toje gave that day and found he made no such statement.
2. Statement From Director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute: For further confirmation, we had also reached out to Olav Njølstad, Director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute. He confirmed that Toje had been misquoted and also explained that, as a member of the committee, Toje was not permitted to reveal the names of nominees. We also spoke to Manoj Kumar Sharma, part of the core committee that organised the Delhi event, who refuted the viral claims and said he was present at the event and did not hear Toje make such a remark.
3. Public Speculation By Members Not Permitted: We also found that Toje, being a member of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, is not allowed to publicly name nominees or speculate about their chances. The Nobel Prize’s official website explicitly mentions that the names of nominators and nominees cannot be divulged with the public for 50 years.
It is worth noting that the Norwegian Nobel Committee, a five-member body appointed by the Norwegian parliament, is also responsible for selecting the Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Unlike the other Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Economic Sciences, which are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, Norway. The official Nobel Prize Twitter account had shared an explanatory video about the nomination and selection process.
