PM Modi crosses 100 million X followers, netizens share 2018 report showing 60% fake followers
Similar claims where made when he crossed previous milestones in 2021 and 2012
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official Twitter account, @narendramodi, has crossed a significant milestone by surpassing 100 million followers.
The achievement sparked congratulations from BJP leaders and trended widely on X. However, amidst the celebration, controversy arose as users shared a 2018 study suggesting that Modi had a substantial percentage of fake followers, a claim also highlighted when he crossed previous milestones in 2021 (70 million followers) and 2012 (1 million followers).
Several social media users pointed to a 2018 study conducted by the social media site, which claimed that Modi had the highest percentage of fake followers — 60 per cent.
According to a study by Status People back in 2012, approximately 46% of Modi's followers are deemed fake, while 41% are inactive. This information, provided by engineers based in London, had led to discussions about the authenticity of Modi's massive follower base in 2012 when he had reached 1M followers.
Since its inception in 2009, PM Modi's account has steadily accumulated followers, reflecting his strategic use of Twitter to bolster his social media presence. Previous analyses, including a 2015 study by the University of Michigan found that a combination of carefully crafted tweets and strategic followbacks to other Twitter accounts helped the PM build a powerful social media brand.
“PM Modi is fake from top to bottom, even his followers are FAKE,” one user tweeted sharing the old study of 2018.
Despite the milestone, debates surrounding the methods used to expand PM Modi's X following continue to resonate on social media platforms. Netizens have been pretty vocal in calling out PM Modi for fake followers.
BREAKING NEWS ➖ PM Modi is fake from top to bottom, even his followers are FAKE ⚡⚡
— Ravinder Kapur. (@RavinderKapur2) July 14, 2024
Twitter ( now X ) says Narendra Modi has 60% fake followers and he's No 2 on the list of fake followers on Twitter around the world. pic.twitter.com/RtvTvJKk3U
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Illegally stored gas cylinders seized
Thane (PTI): Authorities have seized illegally stored 1,839 gas cylinders and seven vehicles worth over Rs 67 lakh in the Dombivli MIDC area of Thane district, officials said on Saturday.
A special vigilance team of the Mumbai Rationing Department detected an illegal storage of domestic and commercial LPG cylinders in Phase-2 of Dombivli (East).
Cylinders belonging to multiple gas agencies were found stockpiled in closed vehicles, unauthorised warehouses, and open sheds without mandatory permissions from the Explosives Department, Fire Department, or oil companies, according to an official release.
