Fact Check: Viral 'Behind-The-Scenes' Photo Of PM Modi In Assam Tea Garden - What's The Truth?

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Minister Narendra Modi visited a tea garden in Dibrugarh district of Assam on Wednesday, where he was seen plucking tea leaves alongside women workers ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in the state. During the visit, PM Modi described tea as the “soul of Assam” and called the experience “memorable.” Dressed in traditional Assamese attire, he also interacted with women workers in the estate who taught him how to pluck tea leaves. Photos and videos from the visit were widely shared on social media.”Tea is the soul of Assam! The tea from here has made its way across the world. This morning in Dibrugarh, I went to a tea garden and interacted with women working here. It was a very memorable experience,” PM Modi posted on X.

Fact-checking the viral image of PM Modi circulating on social media

Amid this, a particular image went viral online, purportedly showing the Prime Minister seated with tea garden workers inside a production-like setup, surrounded by cameras, large lights, crew members, and monitoring screens, suggesting the scene was staged. The image was amplified by several social media users, including former cricketer and Trinamool Congress MP Kirti Azad, who claimed it exposed a behind-the-scenes “staged” event.Also Read: Assam Accord: A 40-Year-Old Promise That Still Haunts Every Election | EXPLAINEDAzad wrote on X, “He has surpassed Amitabh Bachchan and Rajinikanth. His acting and dramatics is unparallel. The stage is perfectly set. This is not impromptu but by design. Look at what goes behind the scenes. It is set to perfection. People struggling in LPG lines, but VishGuru spends crores for a single frame. Only the great AndhBhakts will understand.”

However, this claim is false and the image is AI-generated.A closer examination of the viral image reveals multiple signs of manipulation. These include distorted and unreadable text on signage, inconsistencies in lighting, and unusual blurring around faces, including that of the Prime Minister.Verification using Google's SynthID tool confirmed that the image was generated using Google Gemini. Additional AI-detection tools also corroborated the finding, indicating a 99.9% likelihood that the image is AI-generated.The misleading image is circulating at a time when political activity is intensifying in Assam ahead of the Assembly elections. Voting is scheduled to be held in Assam on April 9, with counting on May 4.