The word “Surrender” in the photo of Indian Prime Minister Modi on the Maldives Defence Ministry building has been digitally added.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Maldives on 25 and 26 July 2025, for various diplomatic engagements and was also invited as the Guest of Honour for the country’s Independence Day celebrations. During his visit, a photo (here and here) went viral on social media, claiming to show a large photograph of Modi displayed on a Maldivian defence building with the word “Surrender” written above it. Here’s the truth behind the photo.
Claim: The viral photo shows PM Modi’s photo on a Maldivian defence building with the word “Surrender”
Fact: The photo has been digitally altered. The original photo, shared by credible news outlets and the official X handle of the Maldives National Defence Force, shows Modi’s photo on the building but without the word “Surrender.” Hence the claim is FALSE.
To verify the claim, we conducted a reverse image search on Google. This led us to the original version of the photo, shared by Times Now on 25 July 2025, with the caption: “This is how the Ministry of Defence building in Male, Maldives looks today with the arrival of PM Narendra Modi.” Importantly, the original photo does not feature the word “Surrender,” suggesting that the viral version was digitally altered.
Further investigation led us to several news reports (here, here and here) that included the original photo, without the word “Surrender”—validating its authenticity. According to these reports, during his two-day visit to mark the Maldives’ 60th Independence Day, Prime Minister Modi was given a warm welcome, which included a large photograph of him displayed on the Defence Ministry building in Male. Invited by Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu, who previously promoted the “India Out” campaign, the visit marked a significant diplomatic shift. Muizzu, along with key ministers, personally welcomed Modi at the airport, reflecting a change in tone from earlier tensions.
Additionally, we found that the official X handle of the Maldives National Defence Force had posted photos from the event. These photos clearly show Prime Minister Modi’s photo displayed on the Defence Ministry building, identical to the one seen in the viral post, but without the “Surrender” text. This confirms that the viral image was digitally manipulated.
To sum up, the word “Surrender” in the photo of Indian Prime Minister Modi on the Maldives Defence Ministry building has been digitally added.