PM Modi becomes first world leader to cross 100 million followers on Instagram

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday crossed the historic milestone of 100 million followers on Instagram, becoming the first world leader and politician to achieve this feat on the platform.

PM Modi joined Instagram in 2014. He has more than twice as many followers as US President Donald Trump on Instagram. The total count of followers of the next five major world leaders is lower than PM Modi’s individual follower count.

US President Donald Trump holds the second spot with 43.2 million followers. He is followed by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto with 15 million followers, Brazilian President Lula with 14.4 million followers, Turkish President Erdogan with 11.6 million followers and Argentine President Javier Milei with 6.4 million followers.

Moreover, within India as well, the gap in the number of followers is staggering. The PM is miles ahead of other Indian political leaders on Instagram. The second spot is held by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath with around 16.1 million followers, followed by Rahul Gandhi with approximately 12.6 million followers.

At the moment, PM Modi is on a two-day official visit to Israel. The Israeli Parliament on Wednesday conferred the “Speaker of the Knesset Medal” on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This is the highest honour of the Knesset.

The award was conferred in recognition of PM Modi’s “exceptional contribution through his personal leadership” to strengthen strategic relations between India and Israel. The medal was conferred after PM Modi’s speech in the Israeli Parliament.

After his speech, PM Modi interacted with members of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset. The MPs took selfies and photographs with PM Modi. PM Modi received a standing ovation during his speech, which was also marked by rapturous applause.

In his speech, PM Modi said there is great admiration for Israel’s resolve, courage, and achievements in India. “Long before we related to each other as modern States, we were linked by ties that go back more than two thousand years. The Book of Esther refers to India as Hodu. The Talmud records trade with India in ancient times”, he said. (ANI)