A handle on information

The Press Information Bureau (PIB), the government's publicity department, has been a diligent partner in Narendra Modi's efforts to communicate via the social media. On Wednesday, for instance, it dutifully tweeted details of Modi's speech in Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand, on its handle @PIB_India. Relaying Modi's messages as prime minister of India is one thing. But PIB has taken official communication to a whole new level by retweeting content from Modi's personal handle @narendramodi. One tweet, clearly written by Modi in his capacity as senior leader in the Bharatiya Janata party, asked electorates in Assembly constituencies in four states where bypolls are underway "to turn out in large numbers and cast their vote". One of the states is neighbouring Bihar where polling was underway. PIB, it seems, does not perceive a difference between Modi's official handle @PMOIndia and his personal one.