Authors
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
Claim
Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu has apologized to Indians for remarks made by his ministers about Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Fact
The screenshot that went viral is fake. Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu has not tweeted an apology.
A screenshot of Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu’s tweet apologizing to Indians for insulting remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi by three Maldivian ministers has gone viral.
Posting the screenshot, some X users claimed that the President of Maldives apologized in front of Indians and later deleted the tweet. “I apologise to our Indian friends with folded hands-on behalf of our ministers and their irresponsible comments about Prime minister Narendra Modi. Looking forward to welcoming friends from India and strengthening bilateral relations between our nations,” reads the alleged tweet. According to the screenshot, the post was made on January 7, The post can be viewed by clicking here.
Other ex-users have posted the screenshot with the same claim. Those can be viewed by clicking here and here.
Three Maldivian ministers have been suspended for their derogatory remarks calling Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “clown”, “terrorist”, and “Israeli puppet”.
Fact Check/ Verification
To find out the authenticity of the screenshot of Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu’s tweet apologizing to Indians, we first scanned President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s verified X account and found no such post on his page. The last time his verified account posted was on January 5, 2024.
Upon further analysis using Social Blade, a tool that monitors an account’s posting activity, including deleted posts, it is confirmed that Muizzu did not delete any tweet after 07 January 2024.
On the other hand, no media reports were found in our search to validate the claim that Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu apologized to Indians in a tweet. The absence of any credible sources reporting on this matter strongly suggests that the purported screenshot is digitally fabricated.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there is no evidence to support the assertion that President Mohamed Muizzu made such a tweet, and the viral screenshot is Untrue.
Result: Altered Image
Our Sources:
1. X Account – President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu
2. Report of Social Blade.
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Authors
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
