A viral video clip claiming that French President Emmanuel Macron ignored Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an AI conference in France has been debunked as false, revealing a selectively clipped video used to spread political propaganda.
A viral video clip has been circulating on social media, claiming that French President Emmanuel Macron ignored Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an Artificial Intelligence (AI) conference in France. However, our investigation reveals that this claim is false and based on a selectively clipped video.
The Event: A Success Story of Indo-French Cooperation
During his recent visit to France, PM Modi was the co-chair of the AI Action Summit alongside President Macron. In fact, Macron personally invited Modi to deliver the inaugural address as co-chair of the summit. The full video of this conference is available on the official YouTube channel of AP, where we can see the two leaders interacting warmly throughout the event.
The Video Clip: Out of Context
The viral video clip captures only a particular moment from the event and has been shared out of context to spread political propaganda. We reached out to J P Ranjan, a foreign affairs journalist at Dainik Jagran, who refuted this claim as an attempt to malign Modi‘s France visit.
Evidence Contradicts the Claim
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs had issued a statement on February 11, 2025, confirming that PM Modi was the co-chair of the AI Action Summit. Additionally, Macron hosted a dinner for Modi at the Elysee Palace, where both leaders were seen hugging each other warmly.
Macron’s Warm Welcome
In fact, Macron posted a video from his official X account, warmly welcoming PM Modi upon his arrival in Paris. Moreover, Narendra Modi shared pictures on his official X handle after his France visit, showing Macron bidding him farewell at the airport.
Conclusion: A Case of Political Propaganda
Our investigation confirms that the viral video clip is being used to spread false information and political propaganda. We urge everyone to be cautious when sharing videos online and verify the authenticity of the content before spreading it further.
Political propaganda is the deliberate dissemination of information to influence public opinion and support for a particular ideology, policy, or candidate.
It often employs persuasive techniques, such as emotional appeals, selective facts, and repetition.
Historically, propaganda has been used by governments, political parties, and other organizations to shape public perception and sway decision-making.
According to a study, 71% of social media users have been exposed to online propaganda.
Effective propaganda can be subtle, often masquerading as news or entertainment, making it challenging to distinguish from factual information.
