On Tuesday, #ModiInsultsIndia trended worldwide on Twitter with over 100,000 tweets.
Glad that twitterati hs given a fitting reply to prime minister.Enough of tolerating his barbs at the country&countrymen #ModiInsultsIndia
The hashtag was Twitter's irate response to the Indian prime minister's speeches in China and South Korea – perceived by many as insulting to his own country.
"Earlier, you felt ashamed of being born Indian," Modi said to the Indian community in Shanghai, referring to the time before his party was elected to power last year.
Modi, speaking in Hindi, said that a year ago people used to wonder what sins they had committed in their previous lives to be born in India.
"Now you feel proud to represent the country. Indians abroad had all hoped for a change in government last year," The Hindustan Times quoted him as saying.
In similar remarks at an Indian community reception in Seoul, Modi said that before his government was elected to power, Indians wanted to leave their country.
"There was a time when people used to say we don't know what sins we committed in our past life that we were born in India. What kind of country is this, what kind of government is this, what kind of people this country has," he said.
"There was a time when people used to leave, businessmen used to say we can't do business here. These people are ready to come back. The mood has changed," he said.
The backlash on Twitter against Modi's comments was swift and brutal.
Never ever in the history of mankind has the Head of State of a nation gone abroad & collectively insulted his countrymen. #ModiInsultsIndia
Congratulations for electing a Prime Minister who was ashamed of his birth in India until you made him PM.
Many were shocked that Modi, who is seen as a staunch nationalist, could have made remarks deemed unpatriotic.
Still in denial Modi said similar things in both China & Korea! "Curse to be born Indian" & "how it's changed post him" #ModiInsultsIndia
Speak for yourself Sir. Strictly Yourself. #ModiInsultsIndia
Time to issue disclaimers before his speeches. That all his views are personal & Indians don't agree with his views etc. #ModiInsultsIndia
I am Never Ashamed to be Indian. But i am ashamed of 38.5% of Indian who Voted for NDA by blindly believing in Ache din #ModiInsultsIndia
Dear @narendramodi , We Are Not Ashamed Of Born Indian, But Are Ashamed Of Our Politicians ! #ModiInsultsIndia
#ModiInsultsIndia Dear Sanghis, Jihadis and Fundamentalist Fringe, Even though you exist in my country, I am proud of India
We elected a PM who travels around the world in our expense to tell how ashamed we are about our parents and ancestors #ModiInsultsIndia
Others lashed out against his comments about Indians living and working abroad.
Every Indian who has worked in India, who has sent money working abroad has contributed to building India brick by brick. #ModiInsultsIndia
A former Indian Supreme Court judge also chipped in.
I never thought that I have committed some sin in being born in India, as the great man recently said in Korea.
The spokesman for the Indian National Congress, the party that lost the 2014 elections to Modi, called Modi's speech a "national disgrace."
#ModiInsultsIndia is a worldwide top trend because it has offended the sensibilities of every Indian. A national disgrace beyond description
But Modi's strong support base on social media continued to defend him.
If Booting out big corruption,Presenting India as a global power,Development etc is insult..then Yes #ModiInsultsIndia & he must apologise
#ModiInsultsIndia: Masterstroke by @narendramodi. One statement by him & there's a resurgence of patriotism, even among Congressis. #Miracle
Subsequently, #ModiIndiasPride replaced #ModiInsultsIndia as a trending topic.
So #ModiIndiasPride has manage to replace #ModiInsultsIndia! Weirdly last checked latter had nearly 80K tweets, currently former has 54k!
Friends we are trending at 1st position with #ModiIndiasPride
No wonder #ModiIndiasPride.. A very hard working PM who has not taken a single vacation day in full year. #ModiAtOne
Citizens of various countries thank Indian Govt for Rescuing from Yemen #ModiIndiasPride
But some still managed to co-opt the hashtag to criticize Modi.
#ModiIndiasPride because he wants to steal land from the poor Indians and gift it to his rich friends.
He puts his country first, then his passport and visas, then Amit Shah and finally his wife. #ModiIndiasPride