PM Modi becomes first world leader to cross 100 million followers on Instagram
New Delhi, February 26
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday crossed the historic milestone of 100 million followers on Instagram, becoming the first world leader and politician to achieve this feat on the platform.
PM Modi joined Instagram in 2014. He has more than twice as many followers as US President Donald Trump on Instagram. The total count of followers of the next five major world leaders is lower than PM Modi's individual follower count.
US President Donald Trump holds the second spot with 43.2 million followers. He is followed by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto with 15 million followers, Brazilian President Lula with 14.4 million followers, Turkish President Erdogan with 11.6 million followers and Argentine President Javier Milei with 6.4 million followers.
Moreover, within India as well, the gap in the number of followers is staggering.
The PM is miles ahead of other Indian political leaders on Instagram. The second spot is held by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath with around 16.1 million followers, followed by Rahul Gandhi with approximately 12.6 million followers.
At the moment, PM Modi is on a two-day official visit to Israel.
The Israeli Parliament on Wednesday conferred the "Speaker of the Knesset Medal" on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This is the highest honour of the Knesset.
The award was conferred in recognition of PM Modi's "exceptional contribution through his personal leadership" to strengthen strategic relations between India and Israel.
The medal was conferred after PM Modi's speech in the Israeli Parliament.
After his speech, PM Modi interacted with members of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset. The MPs took selfies and photographs with PM Modi.
PM Modi received a standing ovation during his speech, which was also marked by rapturous applause.
In his speech, PM Modi said there is great admiration for Israel's resolve, courage, and achievements in India.
"Long before we related to each other as modern States, we were linked by ties that go back more than two thousand years. The Book of Esther refers to India as Hodu. The Talmud records trade with India in ancient times," he said.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As someone who follows global politics, these numbers are staggering. To have more than twice the followers of the US President is no small feat. It reflects a massive, engaged digital citizenry in India.
While the follower count is impressive, I hope this digital reach translates into more direct, two-way communication with citizens on ground-level issues like inflation and employment. The platform should be for dialogue, not just broadcast.
The part about the historical ties with Israel mentioned in his speech is fascinating. We learn about Mughals and British in school, but not enough about our ancient trade and cultural links with other civilizations. More of this, please!
The gap with other Indian leaders is just wow! Yogi ji at 16 million and Rahul Gandhi at 12 million... it shows who the youth are connecting with. Digital India is real.
A standing ovation in the Israeli parliament and 100M followers... it's a good day for Indian diplomacy and soft power. Makes you feel proud as an Indian living abroad.
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