In India, protests linked to the Israel–Iran war have emerged in several cities, led mainly by Left groups, Muslim organisations and opposition parties.
Demonstrators have condemned US–Israeli strikes on Iran and criticised the PM Narendra Modi government’s perceived pro-Israel stance. In places like Mysuru and Kerala, protesters demanded a stronger anti-war position, while some political groups blamed the Centre’s foreign policy for economic disruptions and rising fuel shortages.
In the above context, a video is being widely shared on social media in which people are seen burning the effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and protesting against him.
Social media users shared the video with a caption suggesting that it shows protests against PM Modi after the Israel-Iran war broke out.
A social media user shared the video with a caption that reads, “Thousands of people are protesting against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the government’s stance on Israel and the growing tensions with Iran. In several demonstrations, protesters have burned his photos and raised slogans urging him to ‘Make Israel give us oil.’”
SouthCheck found that the claim is false. The viral video is of people protesting against the PM Modi-led Central government over the UGC guidelines.
On a Google reverse image search, we found that the same video was shared by an Instagram page on January 28, with a caption that reads, “Narendra Modi’s effigy burnt in Ara in protest against UGC.”
Since the Israel-Iran conflict started on February 28, we can ascertain that the viral video is old.
Moreover, in this video, no background music is added. Thus, the slogans can be heard clearly. Protesters were heard chanting phrases like ‘black law’ and ‘take back UGC.’
In one clip, an individual explicitly mentions the BJP government and UGC guidelines, indicating that the protest was linked to the commission’s ‘Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2026.’ Also, we can see that the same Instagram page had also uploaded another video of the protest, where the protestors are giving their opinion on the UGC guidelines.
We found that the video was also shared by another Facebook page on January 28, suggesting that it shows an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi beaten with slippers, demanding the removal of the UGC bill in Bihar's Ara.
Another hyperlocal news channel also shared screenshots of the viral video with the caption suggesting that it shows people protesting against UGC laws.
All of this suggests that the viral video is a protest against the UGC guidelines.
What is the controversy around the new UGC guidelines?
The University Grants Commission (UGC) notified the Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2026, on January 13, aiming to curb discrimination and promote inclusion on campuses. However, on 29 January, the Supreme Court of India stayed the rules, calling them vague and open to misuse, and ordered that the earlier 2012 guidelines would continue until further review.
