A video has been circulating that allegedly shows the Union finance minister endorsing a trading platform which can change the lives of Indians through risk-free investments.
| Claim: The video shows Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman endorsing a life-changing trading platform for Indians that promises financial gains without effort or special skills. Fact: The claim is false. The audio of the viral video has been digitally manipulated. In the original video, Sitharaman addresses the 55th meeting of the GST Council in December 2024. |
Hyderabad: A video featuring senior BJP leader Nirmala Sitharaman, serving as the minister of Finance and minister of Corporate Affairs, has been circulating on social media, allegedly promoting a trading platform to earn guaranteed profits.
In the video, Sitharaman, without naming the platform, reportedly announces that Indian citizens no longer need to work hard or worry about their family’s future. She is allegedly heard saying, “This revolutionary, risk-free platform allows Indian citizens to earn Rs 60,000 per day effortlessly using AI-driven trading technology. It is officially licensed, globally verified and insured by the National Bank of India for complete security.
Anyone—teachers, retirees, housewives, or drivers—can join. Simply register, get guided by a project manager and deposit Rs 20,000 to start earning. No skills or effort are needed—the AI does everything for you. Don’t miss this life-changing opportunity—act now and secure your financial future!”
The text overlaid on the video states, “Guaranteed for everyone in India to earn Rs 1,600,000 within 28 days. You will only need Rs 21,000 to invest in February.”
The finance minister allegedly assures that the platform carries zero risk, claiming to have personally tested it by investing Rs 21,000 on the first day and earning Rs 1.5 million in the first month.
A Facebook account shared the video on February 20. At the time of writing this article, it has garnered over 4.4 million views. An archived version of the post can be seen here.
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claim is false. The voice of the Union finance minister in the video has been digitally manipulated.
A reverse image search of the video’s keyframes led us to a one-hour-long video published by The Print on December 22, 2024, titled ‘Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman addresses the 55th meeting of the GST Council in Jaisalmer.’
According to the media organisation, during the meeting, Sitharaman addressed issues faced by small businesses related to registration and verification. She stated that the GST council has prepared a concept note aimed at streamlining the registration process for smaller businesses. She announced the council’s decision to reduce the tax rate on fortified rice kernels and exempt gene therapy from GST.
We carefully listened to the entire video but found no instance of Sitharaman endorsing any trading platform that promises financial gains without effort or special skills. However, we observed that the minister’s background and her chair in the viral video are identical to those in the original footage. Sitharaman was also seen wearing the same outfit as in the viral clip.
The viral clip appears in the video after the 32:59 mark, going by the identical hand gestures of the minister in both videos. However, in the original video, she was talking about rate rationalisation, not endorsing any trading platform.