#FactCheck-Fake Quote Falsely Attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei on India’s Prime Minister and Indira Gandhi
Executive Summary
A graphic featuring a photograph of Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is being widely circulated on social media. The graphic carries a statement attributed to him: “It is not appropriate for the Prime Minister of India to bow before Trump, and India was a matter of pride under Indira Gandhi.” The graphic claims that Mojtaba Khamenei made this statement. CyberPeace Research Wing’s research found that Mojtaba Khamenei did not make any such statement. The research revealed that there is no credible evidence, official statement, interview, or verified social media post supporting the claim. Had such a statement been made by him, it would have been reported by credible media outlets.
Claim
Sharing the graphic, an X user named Thakur Kuldeep Singh wrote:“Narendra Modi has tarnished India’s name across the entire world. Do we now have to hear all this from Iran too?”
https://x.com/Ramesh18498367/status/2066095602954649607?s=20
Fact Check
As part of our fact-checking process, we conducted a keyword search on Google using terms such as “Mojtaba Khamenei criticized India’s Prime Minister for bowing before Trump” and “Mojtaba Khamenei praised India under Indira Gandhi.” However, we found no credible news reports, official statements, interviews, or verified social media posts supporting the claim that Mojtaba Khamenei made such remarks. During our research, we also found a report published by NDTV on March 12, 2026, which mentioned remarks made by a representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader regarding Iran-India relations.
According to the report, the representative stated that Mojtaba Khamenei “loves India” and values the long-standing civilizational ties between the two countries. He further said that Iran’s leadership has historically admired India’s culture, philosophy, and history and has consistently supported stronger relations between the two nations.
Conclusion
Our research found that the claim attributing a statement to Mojtaba Khamenei criticizing India’s Prime Minister for bowing before Trump and praising India during Indira Gandhi’s tenure is false. There is no credible news report, official statement, interview, or verified social media post confirming that Mojtaba Khamenei made such a statement. The viral graphic is being circulated with a false attribution.
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Executive Summary
A video is going viral on social media claiming that a salon has been opened inside a State Bank of India (SBI) ATM in Bihar. The video is also being used by some users to take political jibes at the central and state governments led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). However, the CyberPeace Research Wing’s research has found that this claim is misleading. The location shown in the viral video was earlier an SBI ATM, which had been shut down around six months ago. After the bank discontinued its operations at the site, the ATM machine and other equipment were removed. However, the external structure of the ATM cabin and the SBI signage were not removed at that time. After the premises were vacated, the property owner rented out the space to a salon operator. Since the SBI board and branding were still visible on the structure, the video created confusion and went viral with misleading claims.
Following the circulation of the video, the bank later removed its signage from the location and also cleared all remaining SBI branding from the structure. Our research also found that the bank had removed the ATM machine and equipment months earlier, but the cabin structure and SBI board were left behind. After that, the space was rented out for commercial use as a salon. In this context, it would be incorrect to claim that a salon was opened inside an active SBI ATM.
Claim
A Facebook user ‘Soumitra Roy’ shared a video on 11 May 2026 claiming:
“Someone has opened a barber shop inside an SBI ATM in Bihar. The BJP’s double-engine government has developed Bihar so much that loan EMIs can now be deducted directly inside ATMs. This is Modi’s masterstroke.”
- https://www.facebook.com/reel/980962511535926
- https://perma.cc/WTY2-WEQQ
Fact Check
To verify the viral claim, a keyword search based on the video was conducted. Several media reports were found, which clarified the full context of the incident. A report uploaded on the YouTube channel ‘Live Cities’ on 12 May 2026 stated that a salon was running at a former ATM location in Danapur, Bihar. The bank had already vacated the premises about six months earlier, but its signage had not been removed. The report also includes an interview with the property owner, who confirmed that the bank had removed its ATM machine and equipment six months ago and later the space was rented out to a salon operator.
The viral video was also found on the Jagran website in a news report dated 11 May 2026. The report states that an SBI ATM previously existed at the location. The bank had removed the ATM machine due to operational reasons but left behind the external structure and signage. Later, the space was rented out to a salon operator, who began running his business from the same setup.
Conclusion
Our research found that the viral post is misleading. It is incorrect to claim that a salon was opened inside an SBI ATM. The truth is that the bank had shut down the ATM at this location around six months ago and removed all machines and equipment. After that, the premises were rented out to a salon operator, which led to confusion due to the presence of old SBI signage.
The race for global leadership in AI is in full force. As China and the US emerge as the ‘AI Superpowers’ in the world, the world grapples with the questions around AI governance, ethics, regulation, and safety. Some are calling this an ‘AI Arms Race.’ Most of the applications of these AI systems are in large language models for commercial use or military applications. Countries like Germany, Japan, France, Singapore, and India are now participating in this race and are not mere spectators.
The Government of India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has launched the IndiaAI Mission, an umbrella program for the use and development of AI technology. This MeitY initiative lays the groundwork for supporting an array of AI goals for the country. The government has allocated INR 10,300 crore for this endeavour. This mission includes pivotal initiatives like the IndiaAI Compute Capacity, IndiaAI Innovation Centre (IAIC), IndiaAI Datasets Platform, IndiaAI Application Development Initiative, IndiaAI FutureSkills, IndiaAI Startup Financing, and Safe & Trusted AI.
There are several challenges and opportunities that India will have to navigate and capitalize on to become a significant player in the global AI race. The various components of India’s ‘AI Stack’ will have to work well in tandem to create a robust ecosystem that yields globally competitive results. The IndiaAI mission focuses on building large language models in vernacular languages and developing compute infrastructure. There must be more focus on developing good datasets and research as well.
Resource Allocation and Infrastructure Development
The government is focusing on building the elementary foundation for AI competitiveness. This includes the procurement of AI chips and compute capacity, about 10,000 graphics processing units (GPUs), to support India’s start-ups, researchers, and academics. These GPUs have been strategically distributed, with 70% being high-end newer models and the remaining 30% comprising lower-end older-generation models. This approach ensures that a robust ecosystem is built, which includes everything from cutting-edge research to more routine applications. A major player in this initiative is Yotta Data Services, which holds the largest share of 9,216 GPUs, including 8,192 Nvidia H100s. Other significant contributors include Amazon AWS's managed service providers, Jio Platforms, and CtrlS Datacenters.
Policy Implications: Charting a Course for Tech Sovereignty and Self-reliance
With this government initiative, there is a concerted effort to develop indigenous AI models and reduce tech dependence on foreign players. There is a push to develop local Large Language Models and domain-specific foundational models, creating AI solutions that are truly Indian in nature and application. Many advanced chip manufacturing takes place in Taiwan, which has a looming China threat. India’s focus on chip procurement and GPUs speaks to a larger agenda of self-reliance and sovereignty, keeping in mind the geopolitical calculus. This is an important thing to focus on, however, it must not come at the cost of developing the technological ‘know-how’ and research.
Developing AI capabilities at home also has national security implications. When it comes to defence systems, control over AI infrastructure and data becomes extremely important. The IndiaAI Mission will focus on safe and trusted AI, including developing frameworks that fit the Indian context. It has to be ensured that AI applications align with India's security interests and can be confidently deployed in sensitive defence applications.
The big problem here to solve here is the ‘data problem.’ There must be a focus on developing strategies to mitigate the data problem that disadvantages the Indian AI ecosystem. Some data problems are unique to India, such as generating data in local languages. While other problems are the ones that appear in every AI ecosystem development lifecycle namely generating publicly available data and licensed data. India must strengthen its ‘Digital Public Infrastructure’ and data commons across sectors and domains.
India has proposed setting up the India Data Management Office to serve as India’s data regulator as part of its draft National Data Governance Framework Policy. The MeitY IndiaAI expert working group report also talked about operationalizing the India Datasets Platform and suggested the establishment of data management units within each ministry.
Economic Impact: Growth and Innovation
The government’s focus on technology and industry has far-reaching economic implications. There is a push to develop the AI startup ecosystem in the country. The IndiaAI mission heavily focuses on inviting ideas and projects under its ambit. The investments will strengthen the IndiaAI startup financing system, making it easier for nascent AI businesses to obtain capital and accelerate their development from product to market. Funding provisions for industry-led AI initiatives that promote social impact and stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship are also included in the plan. The government press release states, "The overarching aim of this financial outlay is to ensure a structured implementation of the IndiaAI Mission through a public-private partnership model aimed at nurturing India’s AI innovation ecosystem.”
The government also wants to establish India as a hub for sustainable AI innovation and attract top AI talent from across the globe. One crucial aspect that needs to be worked on here is fostering talent and skill development. India has a unique advantage, that is, top-tier talent in STEM fields. Yet we suffer from a severe talent gap that needs to be addressed on a priority basis. Even though India is making strides in nurturing AI talents, out-migration of tech talent is still a reality. Once the hardware manufacturing “goods-side” of economics transitions to service delivery in the field of AI globally, India will need to be ready to deploy its talent. Several structural and policy interfaces, like the New Education Policy and industry-academic partnership frameworks, allow India to capitalize on this opportunity.
India’s talent strategy must be robust and long-term, focusing heavily on multi-stakeholder engagement. The government has a pivotal role here by creating industry-academia interfaces and enabling tech hubs and innovation parks.
India's Position in the Global AI Race
India’s foreign policy and geopolitical standpoint have been one of global cooperation. This must not change when it comes to AI. Even though this has been dubbed as the “AI Arms Race,” India should encourage worldwide collaboration on AI R&D through collaboration with other countries in order to strengthen its own capabilities. India must prioritise more significant open-source AI development, work with the US, Europe, Australia, Japan, and other friendly countries to prevent the unethical use of AI and contribute to the formation of a global consensus on the boundaries for AI development.
The IndiaAI Mission will have far-reaching implications for India’s diplomatic and economic relations. The unique proposition that India comes with is its ethos of inclusivity, ethics, regulation, and safety from the get-go. We should keep up the efforts to create a powerful voice for the Global South in AI. The IndiaAI Mission marks a pivotal moment in India's technological journey. Its success could not only elevate India's status as a tech leader but also serve as a model for other nations looking to harness the power of AI for national development and global competitiveness. In conclusion, the IndiaAI Mission seeks to strengthen India's position as a global leader in AI, promote technological independence, guarantee the ethical and responsible application of AI, and democratise the advantages of AI at all societal levels.
References
- Ashwini Vaishnaw to launch IndiaAI portal, 10 firms to provide 14,000 GPUs. (2025, February 17). https://www.business-standard.com/. Retrieved February 25, 2025, from https://www.business-standard.com/industry/news/indiaai-compute-portal-ashwini-vaishnaw-gpu-artificial-intelligence-jio-125021700245_1.html
- Global IndiaAI Summit 2024 being organized with a commitment to advance responsible development, deployment and adoption of AI in the country. (n.d.). https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2029841
- India to Launch AI Compute Portal, 10 Firms to Supply 14,000 GPUs. (2025, February 17). apacnewsnetwork.com. https://apacnewsnetwork.com/2025/02/india-to-launch-ai-compute-portal-10-firms-to-supply-14000-gpus/
- INDIAai | Pillars. (n.d.). IndiaAI. https://indiaai.gov.in/
- IndiaAI Innovation Challenge 2024 | Software Technology Park of India | Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology Government of India. (n.d.). http://stpi.in/en/events/indiaai-innovation-challenge-2024
- IndiaAI Mission To Deploy 14,000 GPUs For Compute Capacity, Starts Subsidy Plan. (2025, February 17). www.businessworld.in. Retrieved February 25, 2025, from https://www.businessworld.in/article/indiaai-mission-to-deploy-14000-gpus-for-compute-capacity-starts-subsidy-plan-548253
- India’s interesting AI initiatives in 2024: AI landscape in India. (n.d.). IndiaAI. https://indiaai.gov.in/article/india-s-interesting-ai-initiatives-in-2024-ai-landscape-in-india
- Mehra, P. (2025, February 17). Yotta joins India AI Mission to provide advanced GPU, AI cloud services. Techcircle. https://www.techcircle.in/2025/02/17/yotta-joins-india-ai-mission-to-provide-advanced-gpu-ai-cloud-services/
- IndiaAI 2023: Expert Group Report – First Edition. (n.d.). IndiaAI. https://indiaai.gov.in/news/indiaai-2023-expert-group-report-first-edition
- Satish, R., Mahindru, T., World Economic Forum, Microsoft, Butterfield, K. F., Sarkar, A., Roy, A., Kumar, R., Sethi, A., Ravindran, B., Marchant, G., Google, Havens, J., Srichandra (IEEE), Vatsa, M., Goenka, S., Anandan, P., Panicker, R., Srivatsa, R., . . . Kumar, R. (2021). Approach Document for India. In World Economic Forum Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Approach Document for India [Report]. https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2021-02/Responsible-AI-22022021.pdf
- Stratton, J. (2023, August 10). Those who solve the data dilemma will win the A.I. revolution. Fortune. https://fortune.com/2023/08/10/workday-data-ai-revolution/
- Suri, A. (n.d.). The missing pieces in India’s AI puzzle: talent, data, and R&D. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2025/02/the-missing-pieces-in-indias-ai-puzzle-talent-data-and-randd?lang=en
- The AI arms race. (2024, February 13). Financial Times. https://www.ft.com/content/21eb5996-89a3-11e8-bf9e-8771d5404543
Executive Summary
A video featuring Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is being widely shared on social media. In the video, Adityanath can be heard saying, “Let me become the Prime Minister, and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir will also become a part of India.” The video also carries an on-screen text that reads “Next PM 2029.” By sharing this clip, social media users are claiming that Yogi Adityanath is set to become India’s Prime Minister in 2029.
However, CyberPeace research found the viral claim to be misleading. Our research revealed that the video circulating online has been edited and is being shared out of context. The original video dates back to May 2024. In the original footage, Yogi Adityanath is not speaking about himself. Instead, he is referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In the original statement, Adityanath says:
“Let Modi ji become Prime Minister for the third time, and within the next six months, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir will also become a part of India.”
It is evident that the video has been trimmed and misleading text has been added to falsely portray the statement as a declaration about Yogi Adityanath becoming Prime Minister in 2029.
Claim
A YouTube user shared the viral video on January 29, 2026, claiming that Yogi Adityanath said, “Let me become Prime Minister, and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir will be part of India.” The video carries the caption “Next PM 2029,” suggesting that Adityanath is set to become the Prime Minister in 2029.
Link to the post n archive
Fact Check:
To verify the viral claim, we first conducted a keyword search on Google. During this process, we found a report published by Aaj Tak on May 18, 2024. According to the report, Yogi Adityanath stated that if Narendra Modi becomes Prime Minister for the third time, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir would become part of India within six months.
Report link:
Next, we extracted keyframes from the viral video and ran them through Google Lens. This led us to the official YouTube channel of Yogi Adityanath, where the same video was uploaded on May 18, 2024.
Original video link:
In the original video, Yogi Adityanath clearly makes the statement in reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, not himself.Finally, we compared the viral clip with the original footage. The visuals in both videos are identical; however, the viral version has been edited and overlaid with misleading text to change the meaning of the statement.
Conclusion
Our research confirms that the viral video is edited and misleading. The original video is from May 2024, in which Yogi Adityanath was speaking about Prime Minister Narendra Modi, not about himself becoming Prime Minister in 2029. The video has been falsely altered and shared with a deceptive claim on social media.
