New Delhi: A row erupted today over the Prime Minister's Office moving to a new Twitter handle with all its contents just days before Narendra Modi takes charge, inviting an angry reaction from BJP which termed the move “illegal and disgraceful”.
The PMO Twitter handle was changed from @PMOIndia to @PMOIndiaArchive, automatically transferring its content and 1.24 million followers to the new account. Also an independent Twitter handle @PMOIndia appeared after the PMO relinquished it.
BJP said the orginial Twitter handle was a “national digital asset” and did not belong to Manmohan Singh and that it should have been handed over to the new dispensation as it was.
“All our official communications are being archived according to the RTI Act.
Copyrights and control remain with the office. This is an office account and the office continues to manage it,” Communication Adviser to the outgoing PM Manmohan Singh Pankaj Pachauri said on the move. BJP, which is set to assume power, strongly objected to the PMO's move.
