Since Narendra Modi became India’s prime minister, many critics have pointed out how social media pages of the key government departments were being used to settled political scores in favour of the BJP.
The latest in the series is the Delhi Airport, which has become a topic of huge social media outcry after some users detected a politically biased tweet targetting Congress party allegedly posted by it on Tuesday morning.
The tweet by Delhi Airport was in response to a known Hindutva Twitter troll, who had posted, “The Congress is not the enemy of BJP. It’s the enemy of India.”
To which, the verified Twitter handle of Delhi Airport wrote, “Without Doubts.”
Two similar incidents have caused huge embarrassment to the Modi government in the past.
In September last year, the Union Railways Ministry’s official Twitter handle had endorsed a political tweet against Delhi chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal.
In July last year, Janta Ka Reporter had reported how Modi’s pet initiative Start Up India had shared two hateful messages tweeted by right-wing trolls.
Both hateful messages were shared by the official Twitter handle of Start Up India.
Tuesday’s development prompted many Twitter users to express their anger against the Delhi Airport officials with some even demanding action against the individual who posted the anti-Congress tweet.
Shame on u @Delhi_Airport. Remember that it was under the Congress Govt only u got a contract to b wat u r today. Very shameful #GMR
— Luv #INC (@luv_datta) July 25, 2017
So when the we the idiot taxpayers are not paying for @narendramodi PR we are paying for the @BJP4India trolls employed pic.twitter.com/Sv3RzhS7tz
— Swati Chaturvedi (@bainjal) July 25, 2017
Another case of a Sanghi rogue handling Govt’s digital property @Delhi_Airport. As usual, like cowards, the tweet is now deleted. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/uPHSxkquSg
— Gaurav Pandhi (@GauravPandhi) July 25, 2017
SEPARATE PHONES……..SEPARATE PHONES PLEASE. @Delhi_Airport pic.twitter.com/QlXL1I0h6I
— Scotchy (@scotchism) July 25, 2017
When u r still high in d morning and mistook ur unofficial duty with official one .We pay our taxes to do troll job for BJP @Delhi_Airport pic.twitter.com/2qn9U1IOzd
— Madhuri Danthala (@Madhuism_) July 25, 2017
It seems that Delhi Airport Twitter handle has deleted the controversial tweet after it caused a huge social media outcry.
Modi has long been criticised for allegedly encouraging the nasty right-wing Twitter trolls by even following some of them on the microblogging site.
But the incessant criticism has not deterred him from unfollowing them thereby prompting many to conclude that the trolls, often notorious for hurling abuses at female social media users and journalists critical of the central government’s policies, enjoyed tacit approval of the prime minister.
The latest development highlights a dangerous trend of bhakts (known Modi supporters) managing key government social media pages and using them to incite hatred and extract political mileage.
