Video of Gujarat scuba diver with saffron flag shared as underwater stunt by Indian Navy

By: Rajeswari Parasa
January 24 2024

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Screenshot of the viral claim. (Source: Youtube/Modified by Logically Facts)

What is the claim?

On January 22, 2024, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducted the consecration ceremony of the new Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The event was attended by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister Adityanath, and the temple's chief priest. Several visuals of people celebrating the consecration have been shared online.

One such video, a 30-second clip featuring a scuba diver holding a saffron flag adorned with an image of the Hindu god Hanuman, and the Hindi text ‘Jai Sri Ram’ has circulated online. This video is accompanied by a claim that the Indian Navy executed this underwater stunt. Archived versions of similar posts can be accessed here, here, and here.

However, this claim is inaccurate. The individual in the video is a private scuba diver from Gujarat, not a member of the Indian Navy.

Screenshot of the viral claim. (Source: YouTube/Modified by Logically Facts)

What are the facts?

We first investigated whether the Indian Navy had officially announced any celebrations related to the Ram Temple consecration. No such update was found on their official social media accounts or in Indian media coverage. A significant event like this involving the Navy would likely have garnered extensive attention.

A reverse image search of keyframes from the viral video directed us to a social media post dated January 21, 2024. This post shared the same video with a caption describing a Ram devotee waving a saffron flag underwater near Shivrajpur Beach in Dwarka, Gujarat.

Additionally, the Press Trust of India (PTI) shared the video on X (formerly known as Twitter) on January 19, 2024, captioned, “VIDEO | A scuba diver raises a saffron flag with Lord Hanuman's image under seawater at Shivrajpur Beach in Gujarat.”

We contacted Divine Scuba, the Gujarat-based scuba diving company responsible for this stunt, located in Dwarka. The agency's owner informed us that their employee performed the stunt, and there was no involvement of the Indian Navy.

Krishna Nayani, owner of the company and an open-water diver, explained, “We displayed a saffron flag underwater near Shivrajpur Beach before the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and shared it with the media. Two or three other agencies also conducted similar stunts. This is a customary practice for us — we plan to wave the national flag underwater for the upcoming Republic Day celebrations.” He further clarified their status as a private agency, unaffiliated with the Indian Navy.

Logically Facts has also reached out to the Indian Navy's spokesperson for an official statement, and their response is awaited.

The verdict 

The Indian Navy did not conduct an underwater stunt with a saffron flag to celebrate the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Instead, the stunt was performed by a private scuba diving agency based in Gujarat. Consequently, we have marked this claim as false.