Fact Check: Did Italian PM Meloni Wish Hindus For Ayodhya Ram Mandir Pran Pratishta?

A circulating 12-second video featuring Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has gained traction on social media, falsely claiming that she extended wishes to Hindus in India ahead of the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.

In the video, Meloni, speaking in Italian and concluding with a blown kiss, was erroneously captioned by a user on platform X as, "Italian PM Giorgia Meloni Message to Hindus for Ram Mandir #RamMandirPranPratishta." The misleading translation asserted, "Best wishes to the Hindus in India and around the world on the Pran Pratistha ceremony. By restoring your prestige after hundreds of years of struggle, you have set an example for the world. Lots of love," accompanying the post with over 99,000 views.

OneIndia has learnt that the video, originally posted by Meloni on her Instagram account on January 15, actually expressed gratitude for birthday wishes, unrelated to the temple inauguration on January 22. No references to "Ayodhya," "Ram Mandir," "Hindus," or "India" were found in the video. Despite claims, no credible news sources confirmed Meloni's statement on the Ram temple ceremony.

Utilising Escriba, an AI tool for audio dubbing, it was discovered that Meloni thanked individuals for birthday wishes received through private messages and social media, expressing appreciation for the encouragement as her strength and conveying love to well-wishers.

A translation by an Italian speaker for Logically Facts verified that Meloni's words in the viral clip were, "Thank you everybody for the birthday wishes-that you sent privately, through social media posts-really a lot of encouragement which I will treasure, you're my strength, I love you!" The Italian Prime Minister celebrated her 47th birthday on January 15.