Modi wasn't carrying a Louis Vuitton shawl: PM's critics caught on wrong foot, fans have a picnic on Twitter

Guess what is an average Indian’s favourite sport on Twitter? Our country’s social media users are mostly busy playing either ‘hail Modi’ or ’troll Modi’ for a significant amount of time on Twitter. Most of them have their good days and bad. The same battle has given birth to a whole new vocabulary which includes words like ‘bhakts’ and ’libtards’. The Prime Minister’s fans, however, seems to have had a great weekend recently. Some prominent Twitter users took to the microblogging site to criticise certain aspects of Modi’s Europe visit, but their allegations were proven factually wrong. People familiar with Modi’s most devout fans on Twitter, you can well imagine the celebration that was unleashed on the site. It began with columnist Mihir Sharma who posted an image of PM Modi sitting in a conference hall in France. In it, PM Modi seems to be the only one among the 16-odd people without an ear-piece in a room filled with people speaking French.

Super-PM needs no headphones translating French although all his officials do pic.twitter.com/ATgijs2rCM

— Mihir Sharma (@mihirssharma) April 12, 2015

After a few typical Twitter jokes about the PM’s superpowers, Vivek Kumar, an IFS officer who accompanied Modi to the conference, tweeted the following.

With his tweet, Kumar became a mini celeb of sorts, and Sharma commented in jest that his “joke” was ruined.

Sigh. Joke ruined. :( MT @vivx: I'm at the far end of the table. Wanted to let you know about an invention called single ear earphones.

— Mihir Sharma (@mihirssharma) April 12, 2015

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However, Kumar doesn’t stop there. He had some additional advice for Sharma.

[caption id=“attachment_2194429” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Modi’s shawl was mistaken for a Louis Vuitton one. Image from Twitter: @DailyMailUK[/caption] A section of people on Twitter pounced on Sharma, tweeting out insults by attaching the controversial tag of “presstitutes”, and also comparing him to Arnab Goswami.

#ArnabGoswami has got a brother in #MihirSharma ;) :P pic.twitter.com/5fSQe5x7I1

— RR 🇮🇳 (@ranjanmania) April 12, 2015

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What's common btwn @mihirssharma IQ level and sonam's bra size.

Both are under 10.#mihirsharma@coolfunnytshirt pic.twitter.com/39VVC1JnxQ

— only just saying (@onlyjustsaying) April 12, 2015

However, Mihir Sharma wasn’t the only one being trolled on Twitter for his comments on Modi. On the same day, journalist Sagarika Ghose had tweeted that she would have liked it if Modi showcased a shawl of Indian make during his trip to France. She had assumed that the shawl Modi was seen wearing, was a Louis Vuitton shawl. Journalist Rana Ayyub was the first one to comment that Modi’s shawl was an LV.

Damier Ebene Canvas pattern Shawl from Louis Vuitton Collection! pic.twitter.com/Y8ea3DBOHk

— Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) April 12, 2015

Fashion statement by @PMOIndia with Louis Vuitton shawl in Paris...IMHO, showcasing an Indian handloom would have been even better!

— Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) April 12, 2015

However, Louis Vitton’s official twitter account later clarified that they don’t make men’s shawls, after somebody asked them about the design. The shawl is allegedly from Vimal, and available on Flipkart as well.

1. "Modi wearing LouisVuitton shawl!"
2. "Not ours." ~ LouisVuitton
3. "OK, Vimal shawl!"
4. "See? Always promoting Gujarat & big biz."

— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) April 12, 2015