No jet lag: PM Modi trends on Twitter after 5-nation tour

Prime Minister Narendra Modi trended for hours on social media getting a hero’s welcome as he returned home from the five-nation tour on Friday morning. #WorldWinnerModiReturns rocked the microblogging site Twitter with the PM’s followers telling the world that Modi was attending back-to-back meetings at his South Block office soon after landing. Many even tweeted that this PM did not know what a jet lag was as he did not take a day off after a whirlwind tour.

Top officials familiar with the working style of previous PM Manmohan Singh, however, pointed out that he, too, used to join work immediately after overseas trips. “We never had jet lag and worked 24X7,’’ an official who had worked with Singh told Business Standard.

But, another former PMO official pointed out that “most previous PMs’ foreign trips used to be at a more relaxed pace than Modi’s, perhaps’’.

While Modi got down to business with meetings related to disaster risk reduction, crime and criminal tracking network and national intelligence grid, several central ministers including Venkaiah Naidu, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Narendra Tomar and Radha Mohan Singh got busy with their appreciation of the PM’s efforts overseas and his non-stop work.

Tomar, minister for labour, steel and mines, retweeted, “PM Modi in action: lands at 6:30 and in office to chair 3 crucial meetings at South Block.’’

Urban development and parliamentary affairs minister Venkaiah Naidu messaged , “Five countries, six days, 40 meetings,,, PM is looking relaxed... Working as usual.. Never tired... Great energy..’’ Naidu added, “PM enquired about drought situation, monsoon and Swachh Bharat...’’

Agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh, who sent the highest number of tweets on the subject, said: “Congratulations to PM for winning hearts and bringing laurels to the country.’’

Telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had this to say: “When you work for your country, you never feel tired.’’

Calling the PM a taskmaster, his followers admired him for sleeping three nights on the flight and returning on the sixth day after 40 meetings - all at the age of 65. “Ánd, some people feel he just travels.’’

Twitter went viral with tweets such as “In just one trip, Modiji recovered every rupee spent on MM’s (Manmohan Singh’s) 70 foreign trips over 10 years.”  

There were critics, too, who tweeted under #GharAyaPardesi and #GharWapsi, who demanded answers from the PM for looking away from India’s problems such as rising food prices.

Then, there were tweets saying: “Switzerland: No black Money, USA: No MOU signed, only Bhashan Mexico…’’

This was PM Modi’s 22nd foreign trip in a little over two years. He has visited around 35 countries, travelling for close to 100 days crisscrossing the world since he became the Prime Minister.