A video of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Indresh Kumar attending an Iftar party in Delhi on March 15, 2025, is viral with a false claim that he attended it hours after communal violence broke out in Nagpur, Maharashtra on March 17, 2025.
On the night of March 17, 2025, communal violence broke out in Nagpur with large-scale arson, stone-pelting and attacks on police personnel. The riots were preceded by protests by Hindutva group including VHP and Bajrang Dal demanding demolition of Aurangzeb's tomb in Khuldabad. Nagpur city police has since arrested Fahim Shamim Khan, 38, a local politician on allegations of organising and planning the Nagpur violence.
The VHP and Bajrang Dal are both affiliated to the RSS and share similar ideologies.
The video is being shared on X with a caption in Hindi that translates to, "The night when Hindu houses and vehicles were being identified and burnt in Nagpur. That night RSS's Indresh Kumar was eating dates with the mullahs"
(In Hindi -जिस रात नागपुर मे हिन्दुओ के घरो और गाड़ियों क़ो चिन्हित कर के जलाया जा रहा था। उस रात rss के इंद्रेश कुमार मुल्लों के झूठे खजूर चाट रहे थे)
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The same visuals are also being shared on Facebook with the false claim.
FACT-CHECK
BOOM found that the viral video of (RSS) leader Indresh Kumar at an iftar is from March 15, 2025, two days before communal violence broke out in Nagpur on March 17.
Taking a hint from the viral video which has an ANI logo, we ran a keyword search on YouTube, and found the original by the wire agency on March 16, 2025.
Indresh Kumar had also posted the invite for the Iftar party which was held on March 15, 2025 in New Delhi. Kumar streamed a Facebook Live from the event, addressing the guests. This was posted at 6.12 pm on March 15, 2025 on his Facebook page.
