#FactCheck - Viral Photo of Dilapidated Bridge Misattributed to Kerala, Originally from Bangladesh

Executive Summary:

An alleged video is making the rounds on the internet featuring Ranveer Singh criticizing the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Government. But after examining the video closely it revealed that it has been tampered with to change the audio. In fact, the original videos posted by different media outlets actually show Ranveer Singh praising Varanasi, professing his love for Lord Shiva, and acknowledging Modiji’s role in enhancing the cultural charms and infrastructural development of the city. Differences in lip synchronization and the fact that the original video has no sign of criticizing PM Modi show that the video has been potentially manipulated in order to spread misinformation.

Claims:

The Viral Video of Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Fact Check:

Upon receiving the Video we divided the video into keyframes and reverse-searched one of the images, we landed on another video of Ranveer Singh with lookalike appearance,  posted by an Instagram account named, “The Indian Opinion News''. In the video Ranveer Singh talks about his experience of visiting Kashi Vishwanath Temple with Bollywood actress Kriti Sanon. When we watched the Full video we found no indication of criticizing PM Modi.

Taking a cue from this we did some keyword search to find the full video of the interview. We found many videos uploaded by media outlets but none of the videos indicates criticizing PM Modi as claimed in the viral video.

Ranveer Singh shared his thoughts about how he feels about Lord Shiva, his opinions on the city and the efforts undertaken by the Prime Minister Modi to keep history and heritage of Varanasi alive as well as the city's ongoing development projects. The discrepancy in the viral video clip is clearly seen when we look at it closely. The lips are not in synchronization with the words which we can hear. It is clearly seen in the original video that the lips are in perfect synchronization with the words of audio. Upon lack of evidence to the claim made and discrepancies in the video prove that the video was edited to misrepresent the original interview of Bollywood Actor Ranveer Singh. Hence, the claim made is misleading and false.

Conclusion:

The video that claims Ranveer Singh criticizing PM Narendra Modi is not genuine. Further investigation shows that it has been edited by changing the audio. The original footage actually shows Singh speaking positively about Varanasi and Modi's work. Differences in lip-syncing and upon lack of evidence highlight the danger of misinformation created by simple editing. Ultimately, the claim made is false and misleading.

• Claim: A viral featuring Ranveer Singh criticizing the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Government. 
• Claimed on: X (formerly known as Twitter)
• Fact Check: Fake & Misleading

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Introduction

We consume news from various sources such as news channels, social media platforms and the Internet etc. In the age of the Internet and social media, the concern of misinformation has become a common issue as there is widespread misinformation or fake news on the Internet and social media platforms.

Misinformation on social media platforms

The wide availability of user-provided content on online social media platforms facilitates the spread of misinformation. With the vast population on social media platforms, the information gets viral and spreads all over the internet. It has become a serious concern as such misinformation, including rumours, morphed images, unverified information, fake news, and planted stories, spread easily on the internet, leading to severe consequences such as public riots, lynching, communal tensions, misconception about facts, defamation etc.

Platform-centric measures to mitigate the spread of misinformation

• Google introduced the ‘About this result’ feature’. This allows the users to help with better understand the search results and websites at a glance.
• During the covid-19 pandemic, there were huge cases of misinformation being shared. Google, in April 2020, invested $6.5 million in funding to fact-checkers and non-profits fighting misinformation around the world, including a check on information related to coronavirus or on issues related to the treatment, prevention, and transmission of Covid-19.
• YouTube also have its Medical Misinformation Policy which prevents the spread of information or content which is in contravention of the World Health Organization (WHO) or local health authorities.
• At the time of the Covid-19 pandemic, major social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram have started showing awareness pop-ups which connected people to information directly from the WHO and regional authorities.
• WhatsApp has a limit on the number of times a WhatsApp message can be forwarded to prevent the spread of fake news. And also shows on top of the message that it is forwarded many times. WhatsApp has also partnered with fact-checking organisations to make sure to have access to accurate information.
• On Instagram as well, when content has been rated as false or partly false, Instagram either removes it or reduces its distribution by reducing its visibility in Feeds.

Fight Against Misinformation

Misinformation is rampant all across the world, and the same needs to be addressed at the earliest. Multiple developed nations have synergised with tech bases companies to address this issue, and with the increasing penetration of social media and the internet, this remains a global issue. Big tech companies such as Meta and Google have undertaken various initiatives globally to address this issue. Google has taken up the initiative to address this issue in India and, in collaboration with Civil Society Organisations, multiple avenues for mass-scale awareness and upskilling campaigns have been piloted to make an impact on the ground.

How to prevent the spread of misinformation?

Conclusion

In the digital media space, there is a widespread of misinformative content and information. Platforms like Google and other social media platforms have taken proactive steps to prevent the spread of misinformation. Users should also act responsibly while sharing any information. Hence creating a safe digital environment for everyone.

Introduction

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We were all stunned and taken aback when multiple photos of streets in the U.S. surfaced with heavily drugged individuals loosely sitting on the streets, victims of a systematically led drug operation that has recently become a target of the Trump-led “tariff” war, which he terms as a war on drug cartels. The drug is a synthetic opioid, fentanyl, which is highly powerful and addictive. The menace of this drug is found in a country that has Wall Street and the largest and most powerful economy globally. The serious implications of drug abuse are not about a certain economy; instead, it has huge costs to society in general. The estimated cost of substance misuse to society is more than $820 billion each year and is expected to continue rising. 

On June 26, the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is observed globally. However, this war is waged daily for millions of people, not on streets or borders, but in bloodstreams, behind locked doors, and inside broken homes. Drug abuse is no longer a health crisis; it is a developmental crisis. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has launched a campaign against this organised crime that says, “Break the Cycle’ attributing to the fact that de-addiction is hard for individuals. 

The Evolving Drug Crisis: From Alleyways to Algorithms

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The menace of Drug abuse and illicit trafficking has also taken strides in advancement, and what was once considered a street-side vice has made its way online in a faceless, encrypted, and algorithmically optimised sense. The online drug cartels operate in the shadows and often hide in plain sight, taking advantage of the privacy designed to benefit individuals. With the help of darknet markets, cryptocurrency, and anonymised logistics, the drug trade has transformed into a transnational, tech-enabled industry on a global scale. In an operation led by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Joint Criminal Opiod and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) and related to Operation RapTor, an LA apartment was only to find an organised business centre that operated as a hub of one of the most prolific methamphetamine and cocaine distributors in the market. Aaron Pinder, Unit Chief of the FBI Hi-Tech Organised Crime Unit, said in his interview, “The darknet vendors that we investigate, they truly operate on a global scale.” On January 11, 2025, during the Regional Conference on “Drug Trafficking and National Security,” it was acknowledged how cryptocurrency, the dark web, online marketplaces, and drones have made drug trafficking a faceless crime. Reportedly, there has been a seven-fold increase in the drugs seized from 2004-14 to 2014-24. 

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India’s Response: Bridging Borders, Policing Bytes

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India has been historically vulnerable due to its geostrategic placement between the Golden Crescent (Afghanistan-Iran-Pakistan) and Golden Triangle (Myanmar-Laos-Thailand), and confronts a fresh danger from “click-to-consume’ narcotics. Although India has always adopted a highly sensitised approach, it holds an optimistic future outlook for the youth. Last year, to commemorate the occasion of International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the Department of Social Justice & Empowerment organised a programme to engage individuals for the cause. The Indian authorities are often seen coming down heavily on the drug peddlers and cartels, and to aid the cause, the Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the new office complex of the NCB’s Bhopal zonal unit and extension of the MANAS-2 helpline to all 36 states and UTs. The primary objectives of this step are to evaluate the effectiveness of the Narcotics Coordination Mechanism (NCORD), assess the progress of states in fighting drug trafficking, and share real-time information from the National Narcotics Helpline ‘MANAS’ portal with the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of states and UTs. 

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The United Nation’s War on Narcotics: From Treaties to Technology

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The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is leading the international response. It offers vital data, early warning systems, and technical support to the states fighting the drug problem. The UNODC incorporates cooperation in cross-border intelligence, overseeing the darknet activities, encouraging the treatment and harm reduction, and using anti-money laundering mechanisms to stop financial flows. India has always pledged its support to the UN led activities, and as per reports dated 26th March, 2025, India chaired the prestigious UN-backed Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) meeting held in vienna, wherein India highlighted the importance of opioids for medical purposes as well as the nation’s notable advancements in the field. 

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Resolution on June 26: From Commemoration to Commitment

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Let June 26 be more than a date on the calendar- let it echo as a call to action, a day when awareness transforms into action, and resolve becomes resistance. On this day, CyberPeace resolves the following:

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• To treat addicts as victims rather than criminals and to pitch for reforms to provide access to reasonably priced, stigma-free rehabilitation.
• To integrate anti-drug awareness into digital literacy initiatives and school curricula in order to teach frequently and early.
• To demand responsibility and accountability from online marketplaces and delivery services that unwittingly aid traffickers
• To tackle the demand side through employment, mental health services, and social protection, particularly for at-risk youth.

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References

• https://www.gatewayfoundation.org/blog/cost-of-drug-addiction/#:~:text=The%20estimated%20cost%20for%20substance,Alcohol%3A%20%24249%20billion 
• https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/drugs/index-new.html 
• https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/global-operation-targets-darknet-drug-trafficking 
• https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/dark-web-crypto-drones-emerge-as-challenges-in-fight-against-drug-trafficking-amit-shah/article69088383.ece 
• https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2028704 
• https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2025/Mar/26/in-a-first-india-chairs-un-forum-on-narcotics-pledges-to-improve-access-to-pain-relief-and-palliative-care 

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