#HowdyModi SM blitzkrieg: 10,000 Twitter handles make Houston ‘a historic event’

New Delhi: For two weeks, a Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha team was coordinating with over 10,000 Twitter handles across the globe, mainly of party's volunteers, to make the #HowdyModi event at Houston a “historic event” and Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “global leader”.

Emphasis was on “setting the tone” for the event, to highlight the “special bond” between India and the US and also to showcase the Modi-led government’s efforts to-wards ‘New India’. Modi’s criticism of Pakistan and mentioning the abrogation of Article 370 were among the top trends of on social media, along with US President Donald Tru-mp’s statement against radical Islamic terrorism.

Most of these volunteers are associated with the BJP since 2013 and played a key role in disseminating “positive information” about the BJP and the Modi government world-wide. From trending #HowdyModi on social media to broadcasting information ahead of the event to highlighting the event, including Modi’s and Trump’s speeches, they played an important role in “making the event a mega hit”.

To assist these volunteers, nearly 100 BJP members were also present at the NRG Stadium in Houston, updating with real-time information and photographs. They were also tasked with other Twitter handles of Modi and BJP supporters in their countries to tweet/retweet the event.

The BJP also coordinated with the organisers and the Indian diaspora, which reached out to them on social media platforms seeking information.

The standing ovation to Trump, including by Modi, was a “main highlight” of the tweets/ retweets. Back home, even BJP leaders were busy tweeting/ retweeting the “historic event.”

“A historic day in world politics! Leaders of the two most powerful democracies shared their ideas & dreams for a prosperous world together in a way that one has never seen before. #HowdyModi was unprecedented. It has left an indelible footprint of a stronger India on world map,” BJP national president and Union home minister Amit Shah tweeted.