NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Monday expressed surprise over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to advance his usual national address from 8 pm to 5 pm on Sunday.Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Raut suggested that the timing adjustment may have been intended to allow BJP workers to watch the India vs Pakistan cricket match without disruption. He also called the prime minister’s usual 8 pm address a “standard time to mislead people.”

Raut said, “The Prime Minister addressed the nation at 5 pm, which surprised everyone. His usual time is 8 pm — that’s the standard time to mislead people.” He added that the timing change appeared to be due to the India-Pakistan cricket match, as BJP workers reportedly wanted to watch it without any interruption from the Prime Minister’s address. According to Raut, the party allegedly informed the prime minister to schedule the address for 5 pm, allowing workers to follow the match — what he described as “a display of patriotism.”“BJP workers wanted to watch the India-Pakistan match, so the time was changed– what a display of patriotism!,” he said. During his address, PM Modi urged citizens to adopt Swadeshi practices and prioritize Made in India products, coinciding with the rollout of the new Goods and Services Tax (GST) reforms from September 22, the first day of Shardiya Navaratri.He said, “We need to make every home a symbol of Swadeshi… every shop should be adorned with Swadeshi products.” PM Modi called the GST reforms a “Bachat Utsav” and appealed to people to purchase products made in India, highlighting the hard work of the country’s youth.The prime minister emphasised that the reforms reflect the Union Government’s “Nagrik Devo Bhava” principle and will result in substantial savings for the public. Emphasising self-reliance as the path to a developed India, PM Modi noted that the GST rate reduction would directly benefit small businesses and MSMEs.The timing of Prime Minister Modi’s address coincided with the India vs Pakistan Super Four match in the 2025 Asia Cup. Scheduled at 5 pm, the match took place at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, where India emerged victorious defeating Pakistan by six wickets.