A video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing a public rally is being shared on social media (here, here, and here) with the claim that he announced free electricity, and also suggests that anyone who comes to collect their electricity bills should be shown this video. Let’s verify the truth behind the video in this article.
Claim: The video shows Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing a public rally and announcing free electricity to all.
Fact: The video does not show PM Modi announcing free electricity for all. In a rally in Pataliputra, Patna, Bihar on 25 May 2024, he was explaining the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, under which households can get zero electricity bills only if they install rooftop solar panels, with the government providing a subsidy of up to ₹75,000 per family and buying any surplus electricity. Moreover, no credible information or media reports suggest that Prime Minister Modi has announced free electricity for all. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
We did a Google keyword search and found no credible information or media reports suggesting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced free electricity for all. Given the importance of such a claim, it would have attracted significant media coverage, but none was found
We then conducted a reverse image search of keyframes from the viral video, which led us to an extended version of the same video uploaded on PM Modi’s official YouTube channel on 25 May 2024. According to the video description, PM Modi was addressing a rally in Pataliputra, Patna, Bihar.
Upon reviewing the full video, we found that the viral clip is taken from the 44:53 timestamp, where PM Modi said, “Modi has decided that your electricity bill should be zero. Zero electricity bill. We have launched the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana. Solar panels will be installed on the rooftops. This will generate electricity. You will use that electricity for free as needed, and the government will purchase any excess electricity and compensate you for it. To achieve this, Modi will provide Rs 75,000 to every family for the installation of solar panels. You can register yourself online right now.”
We also found the transcript of PM Modi’s speech on the official website of the Bharatiya Janata Party, which further confirms that the Prime Minister did not announce free electricity for all. He was explaining that under this scheme, electricity bills can be zero only if households install solar panels through the programme.
To sum up, a May 2024 video of PM Modi speaking about PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana is misattributed and shared as him announcing free electricity.
