#ModiInsultsIndia; an outrage on social media

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent statement during his visit to three nations sparked an angry reaction from opposition parties on Tuesday besides setting off a storm of protest on social media.

Addressing the non-resident Indians (NRIs) in Shanghai, the Prime Minister said: “Earlier, you felt ashamed of being born Indian,” he said. “Now you feel proud to represent the country. Indians abroad had all hoped for a change in government last year.”

Modi repeated the same idea when he addressed a gathering of Indians in Seoul on Monday.

Modi’s remarks evoked a strong reaction from Twitterati, some of whom criticised the Prime Minister for “insulting” his own country. It triggered one of Twitter’s top trends, the hashtag #ModiInsultsIndia. The hash tag is trending in the Twitter.

“We are really pained over the remarks as no leader in independent India has ever made such a statement,” former Union Minister Kapil Sibal said at the AICC briefing, expressing shock and dismay.

“Why those who occupy the highest offices today become self-centric instead of country centric when they go abroad?”, Ahmed Patel, Political Secretary to Congress President Sonia Gandhi said on Twitter. Congress spokesperson, Sushmita Dev, was scathing. “PM is perceived as a good orator by many, but gradually his content is hitting rock bottom. Shameful statements being made overseas,” she tweeted.

Omar, the National Conference working president, while expressing surprise over the remarks said, “So it seems there were no Indians who took pride in their country before 16 May 2014. I was completely blind to this amazing fact. “Or at least no Indians abroad who took pride in their country. I’m so glad you have since been temporarily rescued from your misery”. “Born in England, choose to carry an Indian passport & no Mr PM I’ve never been embarrassed to show my passport anywhere, ever,” he said in another tweet.

BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi hit out at the Congress for being obsessed with “self-guilt”. “The impression is being given as if the Prime Minister has given an official diplomatic statement regarding India’s past government or something like that, which is not true at all,” he said.