PM Modi deletes Weibo account after India bans 59 Chinese apps

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday deleted his account on Chinese social media app Weibo on which he had 2.44 lakh followers. The move came after India banned 59 Chinese apps over national security concerns, following the violent face-off between the Indian and Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh on 15-16 June.

“After the government’s move of banning 59 Chinese apps, PM Modi exits from Chinese social media platform Weibo also… Strong message at the border, on the economic front & at personal level too,” tweeted B.L. Santosh, BJP’s general secretary, Organisation).

All posts, images and comments on the Prime Mnister’s Weibo account have been deleted, including two posts where he had photos with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Last month, Chinese social media platforms – strictly monitored by the Chinese government — removed PM Modi’s speech and India’s official statements on the LAC row. Modi’s 18 June remarks about the Ladakh standoff became inaccessible to users on social media app WeChat.

Pm Modi’s remarks came in the aftermath of the violent face-off in Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh in which 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives on 15-16 June. The Chinese side has not yet revealed the number of casualties on its side.

MEA spokesman Anurag Srivastava’s statement on the border row was also removed from the official WeChat account. A message on WeChat said: “Unable to view this content because it violates regulations.”