Image source, AFP via Getty Images

       Image caption, Modi has has more than 70 million Twitter followers

       Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Twitter account was hacked with a message saying India had adopted bitcoin as legal tender and would distribute it to all citizens.

       The tweet was swiftly deleted and his office said the account had been very briefly compromised.

       It is the second time Mr Modi's Twitter account has been hacked.

       He's a prolific tweeter and has more than 70 million followers - the most of any world leader.

       The deleted tweet from his main @narendramodi handle said the Indian government had officially bought 500 bitcoin and was "and distributing them to all residents of the country".

       Last year, his account was hacked and a tweet sent out urging people to donate to a fake Covid relief fund.

       The latest hack comes as India prepares to crack down on a booming cryptocurrency trade, with a new law likely to be put before parliament this month.

       Mr Modi himself said last month that cryptocurrencies could "spoil our youth".