Asle Toje calls out "fake" quote over Modi's Nobel contendership

Asle Toje, the deputy leader of the Nobel Prize Committee, has called out a "fake" quote that is being reported widely as his acknowledgment that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is "the biggest contender for the Nobel Peace Prize." Speaking to ANI, Toje said, "It's fake. Let's not give it energy or oxygen. I categorically deny that I said anything resembling."

• Several news outlets on Thursday reported that Toje stated that "Modi is the most trusted leader for stopping war and only he can establish peace."
• However, according to Newslaundry, the 49-year-old scholar said no such thing in his media interaction.
• Reportedly, Times Now editor tweeted the quote about Modi being the "biggest contender" for the award, which was later shared by others.

According to Newslaundry, the first clip of Toje's "fake quote" was put up by Times Now. During his interview with the channel, what Toje really said was, "I haven't noticed peace all over the world...but I have noticed that PM Modi has intervened on a positive note in the Ukraine crisis warning Russia against using nuclear weapons."

According to Toje's website, he is a scholar and an author, who lives in Norway's Oslo with his wife, Anne Kristine, and their three children. Toje studied at the universities of Oslo and Tromsø and received his Ph.D. from Cambridge University. He is currently the deputy leader of the five-member Norwegian Nobel Committee, a position he will hold till 2024.

Toje, an international speaker and panelist, has given lectures at some of the world's leading universities and venues ranging from the Raisina Dialogue to the Globsec and Valdai Conferences. He is a columnist in several Norwegian newspapers and frequently contributes commentary in the international media on foreign and security policy questions.