This video showing people chanting “Narendra Modi Zindabad” is from the Maldives, not Nepal
On 04 September 2025, the Nepal government banned 26 major social media platforms, sparking nationwide youth-led protests that turned violent from 08 September 2025 onwards, leaving at least 72 dead and over 2,100 injured as demonstrators clashed with security forces and targeted government properties, including the residence of the President. Despite lifting the ban on 09 September 2025, anger persisted, with protesters demanding Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli’s resignation over corruption and inequality. Oli stepped down the same day along with several ministers. Former Chief Justice Sushila Karki was appointed interim Prime Minister, the first woman to hold the post, with new elections set for 05 March 2026. The army was deployed to restore order, while the interim government announced a ₹10 lakh compensation for the victims’ families and free medical care for the injured. Meanwhile, youth-led groups continue to shape Nepal’s political direction (here, here, and here).
In this context, a video showing people chanting “Narendra Modi Zindabad” is widely circulating on social media (here, here, and here), claiming to be from Nepal amid the September 2025 protests. Let’s verify the truth behind the video in this article.
Claim: The video shows people chanting “Narendra Modi Zindabad” in Nepal in September 2025 amid the protests.
Fact: The viral video does not show people chanting “Narendra Modi Zindabad” in Nepal amid the September 2025 protests. It shows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Dhoshimeyna Building in Malé, Maldives, in July 2025. During the visit, citizens cheered and shouted “Modi Zindabad” as he arrived, while he and Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu inaugurated the new Ministry of Defence headquarters funded by India. The video is unrelated to Nepal. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
A reverse image search of key frames from the viral video led us to the same video uploaded on the News On Air Official YouTube channel on 25 August 2025, titled “Narendra Modi Zindabad! Echoes Across the Streets of Malé,” confirming it predates the September 2025 Nepal protests.
A Google search using relevant keywords led us to several media reports from July 2025 (here, here, here, and here) covering the event. During his visit to the Maldives from 23 to 26 July 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the Defence Ministry building in Malé alongside Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu. Citizens, who had been waiting for a long time, cheered and shouted “Modi Zindabad” as he stepped out of his car.
During the visit, PM Modi and President Muizzu inaugurated the Dhoshimeyna Building, the new Ministry of Defence headquarters funded by India. India also announced a $565 million credit line for Maldivian development and launched Free Trade Agreement negotiations, underscoring strengthened bilateral ties. Modi attended the Maldives’ 60th Independence Day celebrations as the guest of honour.
We also traced the exact location and identified it as the Dhoshimeyna Building in Malé, Maldives. The streetlights, trees, and architectural features in the viral video match those at the site. The comparison can be seen below.
To sum up, this video showing people chanting “Narendra Modi Zindabad” is from the Maldives, not Nepal.