Opposition and govt supporters now communicate in guerilla warfare mode

Govt should reduce its dependence on social media and revert, if not wholly then in large measure, to older forms of communication, at least on non-political matters

In May 2013, when Narendra Modi was still chief minister of Gujarat and hadn’t yet been anointed as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, the Hindu Business Line invited him to launch its Ahmedabad edition.

Mr Modi spoke for about 30 minutes and made it clear that social media—which was yet to fully catch on in India as a political tool—would be his preferred method of getting his messages across.

His early recognition of the potential of Twitter and Facebook gave him a huge advantage in a rapidly digitising country. The BJP’s IT cell soon ruled the airwaves.

But his political