PIB regrets error in Modi's pictures

The Press Information Bureau (PIB) on Friday regretted posting on its Twitter handle and website an apparently morphed picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi undertaking aerial survey of the flooding in Tamil Nadu, saying "it happened due to error of judgement".

"Out of the seven pictures released, one picture used the technique of merging two pictures. This is being referred to as "Photoshopping" in sections of media. This happened due to error of judgement and the picture was subsequently deleted," the PIB said in a statement issued here.

"PIB regrets the release of the above mentioned picture. Inconvenience caused is regretted."

One of the pictures PIB published on Thursday showed as if the prime minister was having a look at another picture pasted on the window of his plane showing submerged buildings.

The picture looked unreal and computer manipulated.

As the pictures, including the apprently morphed one, went viral on social media and other media networks, the PIB withdrew them.

Chinese news agency Xinhua even had a report on the error of the government-run media department, saying the mistake had become a butt of jokes.