‘Botendra’ Modi or Narendra ‘Botji’: PM Modi and BJP get trolled on Twitter

The unthinkable happened on Twitter on Saturday. The Bharatiya Janata Party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi got trolled on Twitter.

So much so that the Twitter alias @ElliotAlderson used by an anonymous French cyber expert, known for exposing security risks in Aadhaar, tweeted, “Botendra Modi” (Modi, the King of Bots) and “Narendra Botji” to troll the PM and highlight how the use of bots had boomeranged on the BJP and Prime Minister Modi.

Alderson, a Twitter alias inspired by a character in popular TV series Mr. Robot, has a cult following on Twitter. He has been exposing serious security flaws in applications, smartphones and other internet services. And on Saturday his tweets pointed out how BJP’s reliance on bots, which are automated programmes designed to behave like actual users, had returned to bite it.

Not everyone was amused though. A Twitter user commented, “Making fun of prime minister representing the country is not in good taste. Drop it pleases.”

Another tech savvy user tweeted, “ Twitter bot developed by a Noida based tech firm co-owned by Ex-@ndtv Software Architect was used for #MainBhiChowkidar campaign launched by PM @narendramodi From software point of view, good work fellas at Opalina Tech!”

But the damage had been done by someone’s idea of using bots to send a personalized thank-you note from the Prime Minister, using his Twitter handle, to everyone who used the hashtag #MainBhiChowkidar.

In a matter of minutes, the message which carried a picture of the Prime Minister, his signature in Hindi and the slogan ‘Main Bhi Chowkidar’ was sent to even critics of the prime Minister and parody accounts of the critics who had responded sarcastically to the campaign.

The personalised message was also sent to a parody account impersonating the fugitive jeweller Nirav Modi, who fled India last year after defrauding public sector banks to the tune of ₹26,000 Crore.

The PM’s message read, “Dear Nirav, Your participation in the ‘Main Bhi Chowkidar’ movement will go a long way in creating a prosperous and secure India. Let us together guard our nation against poverty, corruption, dirt, terrorism and all such evils.”

The parody account @niiravmodi, who uses as his display picture the photograph of fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi in the ostrich hide jacket taken recently in London, responded in mock humility, “Sir loan maaf karwao sara,” he wrote (Sir, get the entire loan waived).

@niiravmodi would not let go. He went on to tease the PM again by tweeting, “Modi ji deleted the tweet. Sir main loan maaf pakka samjhu?” (Sir, do I take it that the loan waiver is confirmed?”)

Then, in Hindi: “The chowkidar is my friend, an equal partner in my chori (theft).”

The message was sent to several similar accounts, including one to @AmbanikaChela ! The Prime Minister wrote to him, “@AmbaniKaChela Your solidarity with the #MainBhiChowkidar movement is deeply appreciated. I salute your passion for a New India.”

An amused Yogendra Yadav of Swaraj India recalled that he had once praised food served on a train in the suggestion book. But he had received a reply stating that his grievance had been noted and would be addressed and the guilty punished.

Supreme Court lawyer Sanjay Hegde tweeted, “Chowkidar bore hai” while other Twitter users used memes to make fun of Modi followers like Akshay Khanna, a Canadian citizen, and Vivek Agnihotri, by tweeting, “ Main Bhi Indian Hoon’ (I am also an Indian) and “ Main Bhi Director Hoon” (I am also a Director).

A few of the tweets that entertained the Twitteratti :