#FactCheck-Old 2020 Lockdown Video of PM Modi Resurfaces as Recent
Executive Summary
A video is being shared on social media in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi can be heard saying that “a complete lockdown will be imposed from midnight to save the country.” Research by the CyberPeace found the viral claim to be misleading. Our probe revealed that the video is from March 2020, when PM Modi had announced a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Claim:
An Instagram user shared the viral video on March 25, 2026. The link and archive link of the post are given below.
Fact Check:
To verify the claim, we conducted a keyword search on Google. However, we did not find any credible media reports confirming that such a lockdown announcement had been made recently. We then extracted keyframes from the viral video and performed a reverse image search using Google Lens. During this process, we found the same video on a YouTube channel, where it had been uploaded on March 24, 2020.
The viral portion of the clip appears around the 40-second mark in the original video.
Conclusion:
Our research found that the viral video is not recent. It dates back to March 24, 2020, when PM Modi announced a nationwide lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. The clip is being shared with a misleading claim.
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Executive Summary
A video of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is being widely circulated on social media with the claim that he supported the Bihar police and justified the encounter of Bharat Bhushan Tiwari in Bhojpur district’s Bilouti village on June 17, 2026. CyberPeace Research Wing research found the claim to be misleading. The viral video is not related to the Bihar encounter case. It is an old video from February 2026, in which the Chief Minister was speaking in the context of law and order and police action in Uttar Pradesh.
Claim:
A Facebook user shared the video claiming it shows CM Yogi Adityanath’s reaction supporting the Bihar encounter of Bharat Tiwari. https://www.facebook.com/reel/1712174420025092 ,https://archive.ph/wip/yUsou
Fact Check:
A keyword search led to the same video being found on the ‘ET Now Swadesh’ YouTube channel in the form of a short video, uploaded on February 4, 2026, indicating that it predates the Bihar incident. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj7ySFsnkqk
Further verification led to a Dainik Jagran report published on February 3, 2026, which carried visuals from the same statement. The report confirmed that the remarks were made in the context of Uttar Pradesh’s law and order situation and police response. https://www.jagran.com/uttar-pradesh/lucknow-city-cm-yogi-on-up-crime-zero-tolerance-and-police-action-justified-40129630.html
The report quoted CM Yogi Adityanath saying that if police do not act, criminals would dominate the situation, and that police are empowered to respond in the language criminals understand. He also emphasized that police training is designed to ensure effective response to crime. An Aaj Tak report on the Bihar encounter case stated that 28-year-old Bharat Tiwari was killed in an encounter on June 17, 2026, in Bhojpur district. Following the incident, an FIR was registered against police personnel, and the victim’s mother demanded strict action and justice.
Conclusion:
The research confirms that the viral video of CM Yogi Adityanath is old and unrelated to the Bihar encounter case. It is from February 2026 and pertains to a law-and-order statement in Uttar Pradesh. The video is being falsely shared by linking it to the Bihar encounter incident.
Executive Summary:
A short video clip of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going viral on social media. In the clip, he can be heard saying, “What sins did we commit in our previous life that we were born in India?” Users are sharing this video claiming that the Prime Minister insulted India and its people during a foreign visit. However, an research by the CyberPeace found that the claim is misleading. The viral clip is taken out of context from a longer speech delivered by Modi during his visit to Shanghai, China, in 2015
Claim:
A Facebook user named “Bittu Yadav” shared the reel, portraying the statement as anti-India. The caption reads:“Look at this, and you supporters—see how your ‘leader’ is praising the country.”
Post link and archive link:
Fact Check:
To verify the claim, we searched relevant keywords on Google and found the full video uploaded on May 16, 2015, on the official YouTube channel of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The video shows Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the Indian community in Shanghai, China.
In the 57-minute speech, at around 51 minutes 25 seconds, Modi was referring to the pessimistic atmosphere in India before 2014. He said: “Within a year… people used to say, ‘Leave it, nothing will happen now. Who knows what sins we committed in our previous life that we were born in India’… From that mindset, today the world says that if there is a country growing at the fastest pace, it is India.”
This clearly shows that Modi was citing a past sentiment to highlight how perceptions about India have changed over time, not expressing his personal view. Media reports from his May 2015 China visit also noted that he addressed around 5,000 members of the Indian community in Shanghai, where he spoke about India’s economic growth and initiatives like “Make in India.”
Conclusion:
The viral claim is false. The video has been edited and shared out of context. In reality, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was referring to a past mindset before 2014 while highlighting the change in India’s global perception.
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Introduction
Cyber slavery has emerged as a serious menace. Offenders target innocent individuals, luring them with false promises of employment, only to capture them and subject them to horrific torture and forced labour. According to reports, hundreds of Indians have been imprisoned in 'Cyber Slavery' in certain Southeast Asian countries. Indians who have travelled to South Asian nations such as Cambodia in the hopes of finding work and establishing themselves have fallen victim to the illusion of internet slavery. According to reports, 30,000 Indians who travelled to this region on tourist visas between 2022 and 2024 did not return. India Today’s coverage demonstrated how survivors of cyber slavery who have somehow escaped and returned to India have talked about the terrifying experiences they had while being coerced into engaging in cyber slavery.
Tricked by a Job Offer, Trapped in Cyber Slavery
India Today aired testimonials of cyber slavery victims who described how they were trapped. One individual shared that he had applied for a well-paying job as an electrician in Cambodia through an agent in Delhi. However, upon arriving in Cambodia, he was offered a job with a Chinese company where he was forced to participate in cyber scam operations and online fraudulent activities.
He revealed that a personal system and mobile phone were provided, and they were compelled to cheat Indian individuals using these devices and commit cyber fraud. They were forced to work 12-hour shifts. After working there for several months, he repeatedly requested his agent to help him escape. In response, the Chinese group violently loaded him into a truck, assaulted him, and left him for dead on the side of the road. Despite this, he managed to survive. He contacted locals and eventually got in touch with his brother in India, and somehow, he managed to return home.
This case highlights how cyber-criminal groups deceive innocent individuals with the false promise of employment and then coerce them into committing cyber fraud against their own country. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs' Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center (I4C), there has been a significant rise in cybercrimes targeting Indians, with approximately 45% of these cases originating from Southeast Asia.
CyberPeace Recommendations
Cyber slavery has developed as a serious problem, beginning with digital deception and progressing to physical torture and violent actions to commit fraudulent online acts. It is a serious issue that also violates human rights. The government has already taken note of the situation, and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) is taking proactive steps to address it. It is important for netizens to exercise due care and caution, as awareness is the first line of defence. By remaining vigilant, they can oppose and detect the digital deceit of phony job opportunities in foreign nations and the manipulative techniques of scammers. Netizens can protect themselves from significant threats that could harm their lives by staying watchful and double-checking information from reliable sources.
References
- CyberPeace Highlights Cyber Slavery: A Serious Concern https://www.cyberpeace.org/resources/blogs/cyber-slavery-a-serious-concern
- https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/india-today-operation-cyber-slaves-stories-of-golden-triangle-network-of-fake-job-offers-2642498-2024-11-29
- https://www.indiatoday.in/india/video/cyber-slavery-survivors-narrate-harrowing-accounts-of-torture-2642540-2024-11-29?utm_source=washare
