evidence: On Wednesday, March 15, Asle Toje, Deputy leader of the Nobel Prize Committee, praised India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and reportedly called him the biggest contender for the Nobel Peace Prize. Calling PM Modi the "most reliable face of peace in the world," Toje hailed his governance and added that India is becoming a rich and powerful country because of PM Modi’s policies. PM Narendra Modi, biggest contender for Noble Peace Prize: Asle Toje pic.twitter.com/ICBUk6rn2k — Economic Times (@EconomicTimes) March 16, 2023 [...] UPDATE: However, despite praising PM Modi and evidently being his fan, Asle Toje, on Thursday, dismissed media reports claiming he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the biggest contender for the Nobel Peace Prize. Toje’s clarification came after news reports claimed that Toje, during this visit to India, had tipped PM Modi to be the "biggest contender" for the Nobel Peace Prize.