Fact Check: President Murmu says minorities being targeted in India? No, speech video is AI-manipulated

Hyderabad: A video purportedly of President Droupadi Murmu speaking on the current state of freedom and secularism in India has gone viral.

In the video, she allegedly expresses concern over alleged restrictions on freedom of expression, the right to protest and civil liberties, as well as the purported weakening of secularism in India with minorities being targeted.

“I am concerned that individual freedoms, including freedom of expression, the right to protest, and civil liberties, are gradually being restricted. Although the Indian Constitution upholds secularism, its secular character is weakening due to growing religious bias. Minority communities continue to face discrimination, persecution and unequal treatment, while extremist and rigid ideologies are becoming increasingly prevalent in society and politics. At this time, our country needs honest introspection to identify these challenges and find solutions. Only through honesty, accountability, and collective effort can we restore trust and strengthen our democratic values,” the President was allegedly heard saying in the video.

An account, Baba Thoka (currently withheld in India but accessible through a VPN), based in South Asia, shared the video with the caption, “Breaking: India’s President warns freedoms are shrinking, secularism weakening and minorities being targeted. When even the President says extremism is taking over, India’s ‘world’s largest democracy’ narrative collapses instantly. The West needs to finally pay attention.” (Archive)

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the claim is false, as the video has been manipulated using AI.

Original video

A reverse image search of the video’s keyframes led us to a video livestreamed on the President of India’s official YouTube channel on November 26. It shows President Murmu’s address on the occasion of ‘Samvidhan Divas’ (Constitution Day) in the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan.

During the address, the President praised the Parliament for actualising the ideals of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. She highlighted significant achievements, including economic progress with 250 million people lifted from poverty, social justice reforms such as the abolition of triple talaq and the repeal of Article 370, women’s empowerment through the Nari Shakti Vandan Act and the replacement of colonial-era criminal laws with justice-focused legislation. The President commended increased democratic participation, especially among women and marginalised communities, and expressed confidence in India’s journey toward becoming a developed nation while honouring constitutional architects like Dr Ambedkar and Sardar Patel.

However, we found no instance of her expressing concerns over restrictions on freedom of expression, the right to protest, civil liberties or the weakening of secularism, as claimed in the viral video.

The transcript of the speech can be read here.

Inconsistencies in the video

The biggest red flags in the video are the mispronunciation of Hindi words, which suggest that the video has been manipulated.

Tool analysis