#ModiGoBack and #GoBackModi Trend after Modi Visits Chennai

Black flags, balloons and a globally trending hashtag, #GoBackModi, greeted the Prime Minister, who had a first hand taste of public anger in Tamil Nadu over the Cauvery issue during his visit to Chennai on Thursday.  From the opposition DMK’s black protest balloon and activists climbing hoardings near the airport to IIT-Madras students taking to the streets, a cross section of Tamil society hit out at the Centre’s delay in forming the Cauvery Management Board. Earlier, matches of the Indian Premier League that were scheduled to be held in Chennai were shifted to Pune following massive protests.

Modi was in Chennai for a host of events, including a Defence Expo and a visit to the IIT campus. However, the events were entirely overshadowed by the protests. Meme makers and commentators on social media had a field day as the number of tweets on the hashtag surged to 453,000 as of 4:30 p.m.

#GoBackModi
Modi on the way to Delhi ? pic.twitter.com/vH30iyLCC6

— MI - Prince (@praiseprince4) April 12, 2018

#GoBackModi world no 1 trends pic.twitter.com/TwJWVTQMiR

— ℳr.ஐடியா மணி™ (@kannan0420) April 12, 2018

Authorities had taken extreme measures ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit to ensure security, including levelling a portion inside the IIT campus to create a special path.

Anger in Tamil Nadu has been on the rise at the Centre’s dilly-dallying over setting up the Board despite clear Supreme Court instructions to do so by March 29. Critics allege that the Centre is delaying the process as it does not want to antagonise voters in Karnataka, which goes to the polls on May 18. However, the decision to directly confront the Prime Minister during his visit to the State shows the depth of anger in Tamil Nadu, which has been on the boil for nearly a year-and-a-half following the death of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.

The protests are also a bad sign for Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami and the ruling AIADMK,  which is perceived as being close to the BJP. The AIADMK has been severely criticised for failing to take a strong stand on the Cauvery issue. Eyebrows were raised when the party refused to support the no-confidence motion against the Centre on the issue of special status to Andhra Pradesh despite other parties in the State strongly urging it to.

The extent of public anger in the State may also serve as a warning to other parties, including that of actor-turned-politician Rajinikanth, who will have to consider whether being associated with the BJP in any form is advisable. Regardless of the discussions behind closed doors by political parties, it is clear that for now, the BJP brand is toxic among the people of Tamil Nadu.

In 2016, the hashtag #PoMoneModi (get out Modi) had trended across the world after the Prime Minister had compared Kerala to Somalia in terms of development.