Did PM Narendra Modi Disrespect the National Anthem? Fact Check Confirms Video Is Edited and False
A video circulating on social media purports to show Prime Minister Narendra Modi disrespecting the national anthem by walking and greeting dignitaries while it plays. However, multiple fact-checking organizations have confirmed that the video is edited, with the national anthem audio digitally superimposed.
A video claiming to show Prime Minister Narendra Modi disrespecting the national anthem during an event has been widely shared on social media. LatestLY's fact check confirms this claim is false, as the video has been digitally altered and manipulated. A fact check of the viral clip revealed that theΒ national anthem audio was digitally superimposed in the video from Bihar's Siwan.
The Viral Claim That PM Narendra Modi 'Disrespected' National Anthem
The video, which began circulating around August 17, two days after Independence Day, depicts Prime Minister Narendra Modi walking onto a stage, greeting various dignitaries, and shaking hands, while what sounds like the national anthem plays in the background. Social media users and various posts, as noted by AFP Fact Check, claimed this behaviour constituted a disrespect of the national anthem. The claim gained traction across platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.Β PM Narendra Modi Announced 1 Tola Gold for Every Aadhaar Card Holder? PIB Fact Check Reveals Truth Behind Viral Video.
Edited Video Claims PM Narendra Modi Disrespected National Anthem
Evidence Reveals Viral Video Is Edited
Investigations by several fact-checking organisations, including AFP Fact Check, PTI Fact Check, India Today, BOOM Fact Check, FACTLY, and NewsMobile, have revealed that the video is edited. The original footage, captured during a June 2025 event in Siwan, Bihar, does not feature the national anthem playing in the background. The original video shows PM Narendra Modi at a public event in Siwan and was uploaded on his YouTube account on June 21, 2025.
According to these analyses, the audio of the national anthem was digitally superimposed onto the video. In the original sequence, Prime Minister Modi was being formally welcomed by an announcer and was greeting attendees and dignitaries as he made his way to the stage. The absence of the national anthem in the original audio confirms that the viral video manipulates reality by adding external sound. The video on PM Modi's YouTube channel does not feature the national anthem playing in the background. Instead, the voice of an anchor is heard welcoming the Prime Minister. A similar clip was shared by news agency ANI on June 20, 2025, showing the same event, where the voice of the same announcer can be heard; however, no national anthem can be heard in the video.Β Did RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra Walk out of Doordarshan's 'DD Morning Show'? Here Is the Truth.
PM Narendra Modi Attends Public Event in Bihar's Siwan
PM Narendra Modi Takes the Stage at a Public Meeting in Siwan
#WATCH | Bihar | PM Narendra Modi greets Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as he takes the stage at a public meeting in Siwan, where he will lay the foundation stone and inaugurate multiple development projects, including water, rail, and power sector.
(Source: ANI/DD) pic.twitter.com/gkl4puA7Cz
β ANI (@ANI) June 20, 2025
Official Responses and Context
The widespread nature of the edited video prompted a series of debunking efforts by media outlets and fact-checkers. AFP Fact Check specifically published an article titled "Posts claiming Indian prime minister 'disrespects' national anthem share edited video," detailing their findings. Other outlets like PTI Fact Check and India Today also published their findings, clarifying that the video was manipulated. This collective response underscores the importance of verifying content before sharing, especially when it involves public figures and sensitive national symbols.
Did PM Narendra Modi Disrespect the National Anthem?
The claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi disrespected the national anthem in a viral video is false. The video has been digitally edited, with the national anthem audio superimposed onto original footage where no such music was playing. Prime Minister Modi was simply being welcomed and greeting dignitaries at a public event.
Fact check
A video shows PM Narendra Modi disrespecting the national anthem by walking and greeting people while it plays.
The claim is false; the video is edited with the national anthem audio digitally superimposed onto the original footage.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 23, 2026 12:06 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
