New Delhi: The Congress party has recently been touting what it terms a 'social media victory' following its loss in the parliamentary elections. On August 13th, the party's official Twitter account shared statistics purportedly demonstrating that viewership of Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha speech during a non-confidence motion exceeded that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address.
Dissecting the Numbers: The party has presented figures for four different platforms - Sansad TV, YouTube, Twitter (X), and Facebook. However, closer scrutiny reveals that some of these figures are misleading, if not outright fabricated. For instance, the claim that Sansad TV and YouTube views should be tallied separately contradicts the fact that Sansad TV merely utilizes YouTube for live-streaming.
YouTube Views Comparison: Comparing YouTube views between Rahul Gandhi's and Narendra Modi's speeches on their respective channels highlights a glaring discrepancy. Rahul Gandhi's speech, having been online for a longer duration, naturally garners more views than the Prime Minister's. Yet, if we solely consider the live streams on their channels, Narendra Modi's speech boasts nearly three times the viewership.
Twitter Claims Debunked: Congress' assertions regarding Twitter views are equally questionable. They assert 23,000 views for Rahul Gandhi's speech and 22,000 views for Modi's on Twitter. However, a simple comparison reveals that Modi's speech accrued more views, retweets, quotes, likes, and bookmarks. Furthermore, the discrepancy is even more pronounced when considering that Modi's speech was delivered a day after Rahul Gandhi's.
Facebook Numbers Disputed: Similar inaccuracies extend to Facebook. Congress alleges that Rahul Gandhi's speech amassed 73 lakh views while Modi's drew a mere 11,000. However, verified figures show that Modi's Facebook video had 64 lakh views, with Rahul Gandhi's speech earning around 80 lakh views on his page.
Assessment of Popularity: While Congress seeks to present Rahul Gandhi as more popular based on these distorted metrics, it's crucial to discern the difference between viewership and genuine popularity. The attention garnered by parliamentary speeches does not directly correlate to popularity. Furthermore, increased political awareness has led to greater viewership of such proceedings, and the interest from both sides of the political spectrum does not necessarily indicate support.
Evaluating the No-Confidence Motion: It's imperative to recognize that Congress' 'victory' narrative falls flat when evaluated in the context of the no-confidence motion. Despite their claims of triumph, the motion was ultimately defeated. Opposition MPs walked out during Modi's speech, avoiding an embarrassing defeat that would have unveiled disarray within the newly-named I.N.D.I.A. alliance. The motion was ultimately defeated by voice vote, obviating the need for a formal vote.
In the wake of their electoral loss, the Congress party is attempting to salvage their image through a 'social media victory' narrative, replete with inflated and misleading numbers. However, a closer look at the actual figures reveals the hollowness of these claims. Genuine popularity cannot be determined solely through viewership of parliamentary speeches, and the no-confidence motion's defeat serves as a more accurate reflection of the political landscape.
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