In 2023, Mohamed Muizzu rose to the presidency of the Maldives, fuelled by the momentum of the ‘India Out’ campaign. Soon after taking office, he called for Indian military personnel to leave the island nation. Tensions between the two countries worsened after some Maldivian officials made derogatory remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2024.

In a bid to repair the strained relationship, PM Modi recently visited the Maldives as a special guest for the country’s 60th Independence Day celebrations at the invitation of President Muizzu. During the visit, the two leaders held talks, and India announced a ₹4,850 crore Line of Credit to support the Maldives.

Soon after, a photo began circulating on X (formerly Twitter) claiming that Modi’s image was displayed on the Maldives Ministry of Defence building with the word ‘surrender’ written on it. The implication: the Maldives had insulted the Indian PM.

But Mathrubhumi’s fact-check investigation found this claim to be misleading.

What we found

A reverse image search was conducted on the widely circulated post. It was found that apart from X, many people have shared the same post on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram as well. Given the global attention surrounding Modi’s first Maldives visit since the controversies, any such incident would have been widely covered in mainstream news. Yet, there were no credible reports of this alleged insult.

Our team also found that the original photo carried by reputable news agencies like ANI showed Modi’s image displayed on the Defence Ministry building without the word ‘surrender’. This means the viral image was digitally altered. Here is a report from ANI.

Here’s a comparison between the photograph displayed on the Maldives Ministry of Defence building during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit and the version shared online. The ‘surrender’ text was never part of the original. It was added later, making the viral image edited and misleading. 

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Compared images | Photo: Mathrubhumi Fact Check Division

Fact

During PM Modi’s visit, his photograph was indeed displayed on the Maldivian Defence Ministry building but as a gesture of welcome, not insult. The viral image with the ‘surrender’ caption is fake and being spread to mislead people.