Claim
A post is going viral on social media that shows an image of PM Modi with a text declaring his retirement from politics on September 16th 2025. The text in the image says, “Announcement comes 2 days after meeting with RSS in Nagpur on Sunday.” This picture has a logo of a TV channel, Times Now, affixed at the top right corner of the picture.
The user has shared this post with a caption saying, “”Saugat-e-Modi” for my dear countrymen..!!”
Fact Check
To investigate the viral claim, the DFRAC first conducted a reverse image search. Nothing came off from this image search. After this, we did a keyword on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the RSS headquarters.
We find news reports on this. A news report by The Print, dated 30 March 2025, stated a truce between the RSS and PM Modi, the BJP. PM Modi visited the headquarters of RSS on the occasion of its founder’s birth anniversary. He was accompanied by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.
After his visit to RSS headquarters, PM Modi visited Deekshabhoomi, where Dr BR Ambedkar, with his followers, embraced Buddhism.
Another report by the New Indian Express, dated 31 March 2025, stated about this visit by PM Modi to RSS headquarters. This is his first visit as a Prime Minister to the RSS headquarters.
Both these reports told about his visit to the RSS headquarters, but there was no mention of PM Modi’s upcoming retirement, as claimed in the viral image shared by the claimant.
Additionally, a news report by Times Now, dated 8 April 2025, quoted Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis dismissing the speculation about a potential successor of Prime Minister Modi. He said at the India Global Forum in Mumbai, “I have clearly said that this is not the time to discuss a successor to Prime Minister Modi, because he will be the Prime Minister again in 2029.”
Furthermore, Times Now has issued a clarification on its website about its logo being used in this viral post. Times Now has called it a misuse of the channel’s logo to spread false information.
Conclusion
Therefore, the fact check by DFRAC shows that the claim made and the image is fake. There are no news reports that indicate PM Modi’s impending retirement this year. Additionally, the news channel, Times Now, has issued a clarification on its website, calling the use of its logo ‘Abuse and Misuse’ of their brand logo.
