Old visuals of anti-India protests held in Maldives are passed off as recent - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 12, 2024
Amidst the ongoing diplomatic dispute between India and the Maldives, a video depicting a gathering of demonstrators donning masks resembling Modi has circulated widely on social media. The video purports to show a recent protest in the Maldives against Prime Minister Modi. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim associated with the video.
Claim: Video showing demonstrations in the Maldives against Prime Minister Modi, in the aftermath of the recent row between India and the Maldives.
Fact: The visuals in the viral video show anti-India protests by the opposition party in the Maldives in June 2023. Numerous news agencies reported these protests during that period. Importantly, these visuals have no connection to the current row. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The viral video does show protesters in the Maldives mocking PM Modi; however, these visuals portray an earlier protest and are unrelated to the recent row. An internet search using relevant keywords led us to news articles that reported these visuals in June 2023.
According to the reports, the visuals show protests against India (India Out) organized by the opposition party. During the demonstration, some protesters wore masks resembling Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, some reports indicate that the then ruling party of Maldives condemned the protests.
“In its statement, the Maldivian foreign ministry blamed the country’s Opposition parties for the protests. The demonstration did not only provoke hatred but also promote hostility with the objective of tarnishing the country’s long-standing cordial ties with India,” reported Scroll.
A few more news articles covering these protests, where demonstrators ridiculed PM Modi by wearing masks resembling his face, can be read here and here. All these reports confirm that the viral visuals do not show any recent protests in the Maldives.
To sum it up, old visuals of anti-India protests held in Maldives are passed off as recent, linking them to the ongoing row.