Namo hoodie in the spotlight
NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is looking to, literally, up the style quotient of its campaign in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections. On Wednesday, a section of netizens was searching for Namo merchandise on social media site Twitter, with many of them enquiring how to buy sweatshirts carrying messages supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will seek re-election this summer.
It all started after Anurag Thakur, the BJP’S chief whip in the Lok Sabha, arrived in Parliament on Tuesday wearing a hoodie that carried the message “NAMO AGAIN!” Thakur ordered the hoodie on the Namo App, a mobile application that takes its name from the first two letters of the PM’S name and surname. The app started offering the so-called Modi merchandise from September, and has since rolled out several items such as coffee mugs, stickers and T-shirts, among others.
Namo merchandise also has a Twitter handle that promotes the sale of such article, with tweets and re-tweets of those posting their picture with items purchased on the Namo App.
In a tweet he sent out later on Tuesday, Thakur wrote, “I am wearing mine. Where is your hoodie?” He tagged 11 other BJP leaders, including Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, information and broadcasting minister Rajyavardhan Rathore and health minister JP Nadda, and said it was their turn to wear the hoodie and tag others.
Thakur got a prompt response from none other than Modi. “Looking good, Anurag Thakur,” the Prime Minister replied to him on the social networking site.