NEW DELHI: Buoyed by the response to his midnight post on Instagram Thursday, which got 305 million views, PM Modi Friday returned to the social media platform. “Thank you, friends. I had an opportunity to connect with you late last night. The way you responded to my video post and gave constructive suggestions, thanks to everybody. Your love will continue and our bond will strengthen,” the PM said, reports Dipak Dash.His remarks reflected satisfaction, with officials calling it a “successful connect” with Gen Z, who have been wooed by CJP and other opponents. Within minutes, Friday’s video had garnered 9.3 million views.This came barely hours after PM urged his Cabinet colleagues to use more of Instagram, saying it will help them stay connected with the youth. He was interacting with them after the Cabinet meeting on Friday. Official sources said PM’s choice of Instagram to announce govt’s decision to toughen the anti-paper leak law earned him around 1 million new followers.Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked ministers how many of them were actively using social media platforms such as Instagram. He said the platform has been popular with large sections of youth and emphasised using the social networking site to connect with them.PM Modi has been using Instagram since 2014.His advice comes amid a growing sense that BJP, which successfully leveraged mass use of WhatsApp to steal a march over its rivals, runs the risk of ceding the advantage in reaching out to Gen Z, which is not as enamoured of the messaging platform and is more comfortable with the photo & short form video service.PM Modi, a tech enthusiast, has repeatedly urged his ministers to hold interactive sessions with youth on this platform. He has said govt as well as BJP should more active on social media. Chairing the council of ministers meeting in Jan 2023, he had stressed that social media had emerged as the main source of information for large sections of the youth and its growing allure needed to be harnessed.
