After AltNews debunked claims made by François Gautier in the Times of India article “Nostradamus and India,” TOI took the post down on March 29, and republished it on March 30, with two notable changes: an added

emoji in the title, and a disclaimer that states “this piece is a spoof and intended to be entirely satirical”. One assumed the emoji was to bring home just how satirical the piece was.

The article claims that Nostradamus had made several prophecies associated with the rise of Narendra Modi including one that stated:

It is worth noting that Gautier has been making recurring claims about Nostradamus prophecies in blogs, magazines and books since 1999. During this time, his claims have been presented as facts in other media platforms including Zee News. Gautier has been actively sharing posts that state his claim as facts.

Both TOI and Gautier have now acknowledged that these claims are “satirical”. It may have taken TOI a day, it only took Gautier seventeen years.