A video of Ravindra Chavan, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader bowing at the feet of a Sindhi spiritual leader is viral with a false claim that he sought blessings from an All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader.
BOOM identified the person as Sindhi preacher Neeraj G Jagiasi known popularly as Sai Choturam a preacher in the Sindhi community. Speaking to BOOM, Jagiasi confirmed his presence in the video, further clarifying that he is not affiliated to any political party.
The viral claims follow a sudden friendship between BJP and AIMIM in Akola district days before Maharashtra’s municipal elections. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, ordered the alliance be diluted, even issuing a show-cause notice against local MLA Prakash Bharsakale.
The Claim
In the viral video, Chavan who is president of the BJP Maharashtra wing, can be seen bowing to a man wearing a black pathani suit with a jacket. One user shared the video on X with a claim in English and Marathi , "BJP + AIMIM tie up in BMC election. Watch BJP Ravindra Chavhan touching feet of MIM leader. Someone had said something at that time ... We can live without power for a while, we will stay home if needed, but we will not form an alliance with MIM"
Click here to view the post and here for an archive.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray recently made a similar misleading claim in an interview, alleging that the Maharashtra BJP president was seen touching the feet of an AIMIM leader. The interview can be watched at the 17:46 time mark.
What We Found: BJP Leader Bowing To Sindhi Preacher, Not AIMIM Leader
1. Video Shows Sindhi Preacher:
We analysed the video and found that it showed a political event in Ulhasnagar in Thane district. Using this as a cue, we ran a related keyword search and found a The Times of India article that covered a public rally attended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on January 7, 2026, in Ulhasnagar during the campaign for the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation elections, along with a photo from the event.
Taking a cue, we found that the same event was livestreamed on January 7, 2025, from the verified account of CM Fadnavis, and it matches the background seen in the viral footage. We then ran a further keyword search and found a post by the Instagram handle @love_you_sai_chhoturam dated January 8, 2026.
The post shared the same viral video with the caption, “Chhote Nawab Sai Chhoturam Saheb with Maharashtra’s Honourable CM Devendra ji Fadnavis and Shri Ravindra Chavan ji.”
2. Sai Choturam’s Clarification: For further verification, BOOM shared the video and the viral claim with Neeraj G Jagiasi, also known as Sai Choturam, over WhatsApp. Jagiasi said he has no ties to any political party and identified himself as a Sindhi religious preacher.
Jagiasi told BOOM, "I come from a Hindu family of saints called Sai Vasan Shah. I promote our religion and our Sindhi community across India without being part of any political party."