📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Narendra Modi
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Fact Check: Viral Video Claims PM Disrespects National Anthem – Debunked
✍️ India Today
🗓 18 Aug 2026, 06:36 AM
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A video circulating online purports that Prime Minister Narendra Modi showed disrespect for the national anthem. Fact‑checking outlets have confirmed the clip is heavily edited and does not depict the PM.
The clip, which first appeared on social media last week, shows a figure in a dark suit standing at a podium while the national anthem plays, with the audio abruptly cut off. The video was shared widely, with many claiming it was the Prime Minister himself.
Fact‑checking analysis revealed that the footage is a composite of two separate events. The original recording shows a different individual speaking at a public rally, and the anthem was added later in post‑production. No official footage of the PM performing the gesture exists.
India Today’s fact‑check team cross‑referenced the timestamp and audio with official recordings from the Prime Minister’s office. The team confirmed that the PM has never been seen in any public setting behaving in a manner that could be construed as disrespectful to the anthem.
The incident underscores the importance of verifying sources before sharing content online. Viral videos can spread misinformation rapidly, potentially damaging reputations and sowing confusion among the public.
Fact‑checking analysis revealed that the footage is a composite of two separate events. The original recording shows a different individual speaking at a public rally, and the anthem was added later in post‑production. No official footage of the PM performing the gesture exists.
India Today’s fact‑check team cross‑referenced the timestamp and audio with official recordings from the Prime Minister’s office. The team confirmed that the PM has never been seen in any public setting behaving in a manner that could be construed as disrespectful to the anthem.
The incident underscores the importance of verifying sources before sharing content online. Viral videos can spread misinformation rapidly, potentially damaging reputations and sowing confusion among the public.