On Wednesday, 27 March morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi created a buzz in newsrooms across the country when he put out a tweet saying he would be addressing the nation later with an “important message”.

The tweet predictably brought back memories of his last address in 2016, when he had announced the demonetisation of high-value currency notes.

There was all-around anticipation about a similar big-bang announcement once again. Coming ahead of next month’s crucial Lok Sabha election, it was a given that the prime minister’s message was essentially aimed at setting the agenda for the coming polls, boosting the BJP’s electoral prospects, and showing the Congress in poor light. So, when PM Modi finally went on air to tell the nation that India had become the fourth nation to bring down a live satellite with an anti-satellite missile, the announcement failed to generate any excitement.

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