In response to the hate that was spewed by trolls on Twitter, following the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh, #BlockNarendraModi began trending on Thursday. The PM follows many of the trolls on Twitter, and Twitterati have resolved to block him till he unfollows them.
#BlockNarendraModi was the top trend with over 24,000 tweets on Thursday, the day after veteran journalist Gauri Lankesh was cremated with a police guard of honour and a gun salute.
Prominent journalist Ravish Kumar condemned the incident, and questioned the reason for the Prime Minister following such vicious trolls.
“The people of the country have given the Prime Minister so much love. Whom should he be following? Out of the 1,700 people he follows, the man who used the word kutia (bitch) is the one he had to follow? He probably doesn’t even follow all his party’s legislators.” Ravish told The Wire.
Gauri’s death had evoked massive protests across the country.
Union Minister for Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad too condemned the hate campaign against Lankesh.
I strongly condemn & deplore the messages on social media expressing happiness on the dastardly murder of #Gaurilankesh.
— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) September 6, 2017
Expressing happiness on the killing of anyone is shameful, regrettable and totally against Indian traditions. Social media is not for that.
— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) September 6, 2017
Notwithstanding with the minister’s condemnation, #BlockNarendraModi began to trend, and many blocked him on Twitter for following vicious trolls.
An absentee PM who cant care about d country that voted him to power & follows venomous people on Twitter. #BlockNarendraModi is a good idea pic.twitter.com/MAjXNL1lbB
— Akshay Bajaj (@villagerurbaine) September 6, 2017
#BlockNarendraModi
— SANDIPAN MITRA (@SANDIPANMITRA6) September 6, 2017
Anyone who follows vile, vicious abusive trolls isnt & will never be my PM pic.twitter.com/oUoz4l7dmH
#BlockNarendraModi
— K. Chandrakumar (@kurup62) September 6, 2017
Have you done it ? pic.twitter.com/I9kc6NklVQ
When history will be written Modiji names will feature right on top for being the only PM blocked by it citizen..#BlockNarendraModi pic.twitter.com/L0GSYSdjqS
— Roman D'souza (@romandsouza) September 7, 2017
#BlockNarendraModi until he blocks hatred and the hate mongers, trolls and trouble makres, the cow vigilantes and the moral brigades pic.twitter.com/bfpD3lru8f
— #iStandWithFarmers (@suresh_ediga) September 6, 2017
#BlockNarendraModi Save Democracy and the Right to Dissent. pic.twitter.com/jvm8km69zB
— Suren Abreu (@SurenAbreu) September 7, 2017
However, many, though upset with the PM for following such trolls, didn’t agree with the campaign, and said that the PM needs to be heard and needs to hear his people, and it was not the right idea.
Sorry, won't #BlockNarendraModi.
— Ankit Lal (@AnkitLal) September 7, 2017
Will raise my voice and make sure that he listens to it.
#BlockNarendraModi is a naive as uninstalling SnapChat. Its childish and only shows the lack of clear thoughts on the misgivings of the Govt
— tariq (@tariq_06) September 7, 2017
Don't agree with people who #BlockNarendraModi. Blocking just signals the end of dialogue. Criticise him but don't block.
— Meghnad (@Memeghnad) September 7, 2017
It doesn't actually work. Follow, observe to know him better and then ignore if you want. #BlockNarendraModi
— Laboni das (@dlaboni22) September 7, 2017
Following Lankesh’s horrific death, as her family, friends and journalists were still reeling from the shock, many opposing Gauri’s leftist ideologies rejoiced her death and justified the murder.
Gauri Lankesh was shot dead on Tuesday night at her residence in Raja Rajeshwari Nagar, Bengaluru, by unknown assailants. The veteran journalist was an activist-journalist, and was a vocal critic of the right-wing politics. She published numerous editorials against Hindutva politics in ‘Gauri Lankesh Patrike,’ a regional tabloid run by her.