Ahead Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Tamil Nadu, a #GoBackModi campaign emerged on Twitter, while posts actually welcomed China's President Xi Jinping. Though there is no one reason for the protests, sentiments were frayed in Tamil Nadu, after Federal Home Minister Amit Shah's comment that Hindi should be made the unifying language of India.
The #TNwelcomesXiJinping is also trending in Mandarin, and Twitter users are highlighting several topical issues with the hashtag.
Meanwhile, the official spokesperson of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs Tweeted, “PM@narendramodi arrives for the Chennai Informal Summit with Chinese President Xi. The two leaders will exchange views on a range of subjects unrestricted by a set agenda.”
This is not the first time that the #GoBackModi has trended on Twitter ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit to the state. In March this year, when Modi visited Kanyakumari to launch a slew of projects, similar social media protests appeared.
Modi will receive Xi in Mamallapuram – a UNESCO world heritage site south of Chennai on the shores of the Arabian Sea.
This will mark the second time both leaders are meeting for an informal summit; the first was in the eastern Chinese city of Wuhan in April last year, after the Doklam standoff between the militaries of the two countries.