False Claim: Akhilesh Skipped Maha Kumbh But Attended Iftar

A video of Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav at an Iftar party is viral with a false communal claim that he skipped the Maha Kumbh 2025 celebrations in Prayagraj, suggesting he favours Islamic ceremonies over Hindu ones.

BOOM found the viral claim to be false; and found news reports and visuals showing Yadav attending the Maha Kumbh. The photos also showin him taking a ritual dip at the Triveni Sangam on January 26, 2025.

The viral video shows Yadav sitting at a table alongside two men in traditional Islamic attire during what appears to be an Iftar gathering. The video is being shared with a false communal claim that while he is participating in Islamic observances like Iftar, he deliberately avoided attending the Hindu religious event of Maha Kumbh.

One of the Hindi captions being shared on Facebook with the video translates in English to, "This is the condition of those who used to drink water day and night on the Kumbh, today they are worshiping Allah."

Click here and here to view such posts.

Fact Check

BOOM ran a quick keyword search with "akhilesh yadav iftar" and found news reports confirming that the viral video was indeed from a March 29, 2025 iftar gathering held in Lucknow.

We then conducted a specific keyword search to verify whether Yadav skipped the Maha Kumbh ceremonies as being claimed in the viral posts. BOOM found multiple news reports confirming Yadav's visit to Prayagraj on January 26, 2025, to participate in the Maha Kumbh by taking a holy dip at Triveni Sangam.

According to an India Today report published on January 26, 2025, Yadav claimed to have taken 11 dips in the river Ganga. The report also contained video footage of Yadav taking dips at the Kumbh.

The same was reported by Live Hindustan on its YouTube channel, which also showed footage of Yadav's dips in the Ganga at the Maha Kumbh event.

Yadav also posted visuals of his visit on X, highlighting his experience at the Maha Kumbh.