Alt News co-founder, alleged fact-checker, clip cutter Mohammad Zubair shared a selectively edited clip of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the Indian diaspora in Jakarta, Indonesia, omitting the context that explained the Prime Minister’s remarks about the number eight and portraying the speech as an instance of bizarre numerology.
The controversy stems from PM Modi’s address during his official visit to Indonesia on 7 July 2026, where he used a light-hearted mathematical analogy centered around the number eight while referring to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.
What PM Modi Said
Addressing the Indian community in Jakarta, PM Modi said, “Friends, India celebrated its Republic Day with great enthusiasm on January 26 last year. Twenty-six… 2 plus 6 equals 8, and my friend the President’s birthday is on the 17th, 1 plus 7 also equals 8. President Prabowo attended the Republic Day celebrations as the Chief Guest. During that visit, we had detailed discussions on many issues. But one particular remark from that visit remains special to me. Mr President, you had then said, and you repeated it again today, that you have India’s DNA. That one statement won the hearts of millions of Indians, and even today, it received the loudest applause. It truly touched the hearts of the people of India.”
Soon after the speech, opposition supporters circulated a cropped segment in which PM Modi asks the audience, “Two plus six is equal to?”
Among those who shared the edited clip was Alt News co-founder and clip cutter Mohammad Zubair.
Zubair shared the clipped video stating, “PM Narendra Modi : India celebrated its Republic Day on January 26 last year. Twenty-six… 2 plus 6 equals 8, and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s birthday is on the 17th, 1 plus 7 also equals 8. Same same.”
The clipped video was shared without showing Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto or explaining why PM Modi was referring to the number eight. Zubair and his ilk mocked the Prime Minister by claiming he was teaching elementary arithmetic on an international stage or indulging in numerology during an official diplomatic visit.
What the Edited Clip Left Out
The viral clip omitted a crucial part of the programme that immediately preceded PM Modi’s address.
Before the Prime Minister took the stage, President Prabowo Subianto himself had spoken about the significance of the number eight in his life and political journey. Addressing the gathering, Prabowo said, “Destiny made me the eighth President of Indonesia. As you know, 8 is my lucky number. And actually, I keep finding the number 8 all through my career. I wanted to become the seventh President, but destiny made me the eighth.”
PM Modi’s remarks were a direct continuation of that conversation.
By referring to India’s Republic Day falling on January 26, where 2+6 equals 8 and Prabowo’s birthday on October 17 where 1+7 also equals 8, PM Modi was extending the Indonesian President’s own observation about his lucky number in a light-hearted diplomatic exchange.
Here’s the full video. pic.twitter.com/ZGGxL5m3ae
— Varun Kumar Rana (@VarunKrRana) July 7, 2026
The edited clip circulated on social media excluded this context entirely, making it appear as though PM Modi had randomly introduced arithmetic and numerology into his speech.
Why the Number Eight Matters in Indonesia
PM Modi’s reference was not arbitrary. The number eight carries special cultural significance across much of East and Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, owing to the influence of Chinese traditions and Feng Shui. In Mandarin, the pronunciation of the number eight, “ba”, closely resembles “fa”, meaning prosperity or wealth, making it one of the most auspicious numbers in Chinese culture, as reported in Times of India.
Prabowo himself reinforced that symbolism during his speech by describing eight as his lucky number.
The symbolism extends beyond his birthday. Indonesia’s Independence Day is celebrated on August 17 every year, with the date 17 also reducing numerically to eight.
The numerical analogy formed only a small portion of PM Modi’s address.
Calling President Prabowo “a true friend of India”, the Prime Minister thanked the Indonesian people for their warm welcome and spoke about the civilisational relationship between the two countries. He also referred to Prabowo’s earlier remark that he had “India’s DNA”, saying the statement had won the hearts of millions of Indians.
PM Modi also connected with the audience through a Bollywood reference, saying, “I noticed that the Bollywood song ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ is very popular here. Today, I told President Prabowo that when India and Indonesia move forward together, it goes far beyond just ‘kuch kuch’; it leads to ‘bahut kuch’…”
During the visit, India and Indonesia signed 20 agreements covering defence, maritime security, education, digital technology and critical minerals. PM Modi also addressed the Indonesian Parliament, received Indonesia’s highest civilian honour, the Bintang Adipurna, and announced that India would assist in the conservation of the 1,000-year-old Prambanan Temple in Yogyakarta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Selective Editing For Fuelling Anti-Modi Propaganda
By removing President Prabowo’s preceding remarks explaining why the number eight held personal significance, the edited video omitted the context that made PM Modi’s comments intelligible. The selective editing transformed a routine diplomatic exchange into a misleading narrative designed to invite ridicule, illustrating how the removal of surrounding context can substantially alter the perceived meaning of a public statement.
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