Emojis, pop culture: PM’s social media lexicon takes a new twist
His pivot seems to have started after sweeping victories in three heartland states and months before the 2024 general elections, as he veers clearly onto the path of Millennial relatability
In the beginning was the word. Then came the emojis. Soon enough, a pop culture reference followed.
Over the past week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s approach on X (the social media website formerly known as Twitter) has seen a distinct shift. Sure, the formal, official, diplomatic, posts are still there, as they have been since his first posts on the platform in February 2009. But now, sandwiched between them are emoji-laden messages, sometimes humorous, at other times, aggressive, with the language significantly stripped-down. For instance, Modi on Tuesday turned to Money Heist (a wildly popular Netflix series that has spawned its own sub-genre of memes and reels) to attack the Congress.
In his handle’s shedding of online inhibitions, Modi has segued from the stately internet into the internet of stans, lowkeys, no-cap, slays, on-fleeks and wildins, where the letters are few and the emojis are aplenty.
His pivot seems to have started after sweeping victories in three heartland states and months before the 2024 general elections, as he veers clearly onto the path of Millennial relatability.
Modi first took the gloves off on December 5, two days after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
Reposting a TV news report about the Opposition’s drubbing in the three states, Modi said: “May they be happy with their arrogance, lies, pessimism and ignorance. But… Beware of their divisive agenda. An old habit of 70 years can’t go away so easily…Also, such is the wisdom of the people that they have to be prepared for many more meltdowns ahead.”
Peppering that tweet, though, was a line of hazard sign emojis and smileys.
Three days later, as income tax department officials recovered bundle after bundle of cash from Congress Jharkhand MP Dhiraj Sahu, Modi dipped his feet into the emoji waters a second time.
This time, reposting a news report by a Hindi newspaper on the I-T searches, Modi said: “People of the country should look at the pile of these notes and then listen to the honest ‘speeches’ of their leaders…”. At the end of the sentence was a line of three teary-eyed laughing emojis.
“Whatever has been looted from the public, every penny will have to be returned, this is Modi’s guarantee,” he added, book-ending this line with three emojis of bundles of cash, sandwiched between three red crosses on either side.
On Tuesday, the Prime Minister leant on Money Heist.
Again, attacking the Congress and Sahu, he reposted a minute-long video clip by the BJP’s official X handle . That video itself began with the signature Netflix Tudum (yes, that’s what it is called), for even greater dramatic effect.
“In India, who needs ‘Money Heist’ fiction, when you have the Congress Party, whose heists are legendary for 70 years and counting!” Modi said.
The aim here seems simple. Jive with the older Millennials and the youngest Gen Zs. Hook a generation bred on WhatsApp and TikTok.
After all, over six million first-time voters were eligible to exercise their franchise in the round of recently concluded state elections alone. In 2024, roughly 9% of India’s population will be aged between 20 and 24.
To be sure, Modi’s Twitter handle has always been quick to spot the opportunities -- for instance, on November 17, when the Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger, then on a visit to India, posted: “Thanks India, got away from it all here”, Modi responded with a tweet that suggested his own familiarity with the Stones’ lexicon.
“‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’, but India is a land brimming with seekers, offering solace and ‘Satisfaction’ to all. Delighted to know you found joy among the people and culture here. Do keep coming,” Modi said.
Interestingly, last week, at a meeting of the BJP’s parliamentarians, Modi asked his people to refer to him simply as Modi, not as Adaraniya Pradhan Mantri ji (respected PM) or some such, perhaps as much a recognition of the power of the Modi brand, as a desire to keep building it.
India’s internet infrastructure has mushroomed at a staggering pace. According to the Internet in India Report 2022, digital access in the country’s rural areas grew 14%, against 6% for urban spaces. More than half of India’s new internet users by 2025 will come from rural areas, said the same report.
BJP officials pointed out that Modi was among the first Indian leaders who amassed the potential of social media. That’s true, he has 93.7 million followers on X, and 82.4 million on Instagram.
Party spokesperson Shezad Poonawaala, said, “Prime Minister Modi understands the pulse, tone and tenor of the public. So, not only was he the first person to use social media on a large scale to communicate with the public, he also communicates in the language of the generation that uses social media.”
Commenting specifically on Modi’s new-found X lexicon, Poonawalla said: “The tweets only show how much he always thinks about connecting with people, whether it’s in a public rally, through his work or on social media.”
