Election battle rages in social media

The battle for the next Lok Sabha is raging aggressively -- on the social media.

Diehard supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his bitterest critics have taken on each other in Twitter and Facebook in an unprecedented manner, the charges and counter-charges often turning bitterly ugly.

There is a spurt in heated exchanges on issues ranging from economic development to religion, from nationalism to Pakistan, replacing the earlier mostly polite discussions.

In many cases, the war is being fought even within families and among relatives.

From "bhakts" to "Modi haters" and from "traitors" to self-proclaimed "true Indians", there is a label for everyone who has an opinion.

And most debates on social media -- much like the ones on TV news channels -- end on sour note with abuses followed by "unfriending" and "blocking".

There are hashtags for every occasion on Twitter as well.

If it was #ExposeDeshDrohis (Expose Traitors), #GoBackToPakistan and #TimeForRevenge targeted at Kashmiri Muslims after the Pulwama suicide bombing, it was #GoBackModi and #GoBackSadistModi during Modi's visits to Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

The Congress and its President Rahul Gandhi were not spared either after he called for an investigation in the Rafale jet deal.

Hashtags like #RahulGandhiPagalHai, #CongressPakistanBhaiBhai and #CongressMuktBharat started doing the rounds. In response came #WhoAteTheRafalePie.

There are conspiracy theories behind almost every trend that goes viral.

If the usual suspects earlier used to be members of the two major parties and their IT cells, Pakistan and its intelligence agency ISI have now been included.

Claims of 'ismein Pakistan aur ISI ka hath hai' (Pakistan and ISI are behind this) and counterclaims keep flying.

There are claims that most tweets against Modi emerge from Pakistan. There are also claims that tweets targeting Kashmiris and people supporting Kashmiris also originate from Pakistan - to create discord between Kashmiris against India/Modi.

With elections only weeks away, the tempers are expected to keep soar further.

--IANS

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