Claim: A video shows Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Dimple Yadav participating in a ritual bath at the Maha Kumbh Mela in 2025.

Fact: The claim is false. The video is from October 2022, shot during the immersion of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav’s ashes in Haridwar.

Recently, discussions have emerged about comments made by SP MP Dimple Yadav about the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj and the attendance of non-Sanatanis. The All-India Akhara Parishad expressed displeasure over her remarks, emphasising the importance of understanding the sentiments of Sanatan Dharma followers. Mahant Ravindra Puri stated that as someone from Uttarakhand, Dimple Yadav should be more attuned to these sensitivities.

Amid this backdrop, a video has gone viral allegedly showing Dimple Yadav taking a dip in the Ganges during the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela 2025.

An X user shared the 18-second clip of Dimple Yadav engaging in the ritual and wrote in Hindi, “Do you all know that Akhilesh’s wife has also taken a dip in the Maha Kumbh?”

A similar claim can be found here. 

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the claim is false. The video is not from the Maha Kumbh Mela.

A reverse image search of keyframes from the video led us to a YouTube video published by The HFF News on October 22, 2022, titled ‘Mulayam in the lap of Ganga: Akhilesh immersed the ashes with moist eyes | Dimple Yadav | Akhilesh Yadav.’

In this extended footage, Akhilesh Yadav can be seen taking a dip in the Ganges and between the timestamps of 3:18 and 4:09 minutes, visuals matching the viral clip of Dimple Yadav can be seen. The description of the video indicated that it is about the immersion of Mulayam Singh Yadav’s ashes in Haridwar.

Further, we found another video published by News18 Debate and Interview YouTube channel on October 17, 2022, titled ‘Mulayam Singh Asthi Visarjan: Whole family including Akhilesh and Dimple took a dip in Ganga.’

Comparing the visuals from this video with the viral clip revealed a close resemblance, confirming that the footage is from the 2022 event.

Additionally, a report by Garhwal Post dated October 19, 2022, detailed the immersion ceremony, noting the presence of Akhilesh Yadav, Dimple Yadav and other family members during the rituals in Haridwar.

We also checked Dimple Yadav’s recent activities through her social media accounts. There were no posts or updates on her X or Instagram accounts suggesting her presence at the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025.

Therefore, the viral claim that Dimple Yadav took a holy dip at the 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela is false. The video is from October 2022 and shows the immersion ceremony of Mulayam Singh Yadav’s ashes in Haridwar.

Claim Review: The video shows SP MP Dimple Yadav participating in a ritual bath at the ensuing Maha Kumbh Mela in 2025.

Claimed By: X users

Claim Reviewed By: NewsMeter

Claim Source: X

Claim Fact Check: False

Fact: The claim is false. The video is from October 2022, shot during the immersion of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav’s ashes in Haridwar.

(This story was originally published by NewsMeter, and republished by NDTV as part of the Shakti Collective)

New Delhi:

The Samajwadi Party on Wednesday seemed to step back from a Congress – its INDIA bloc ally – under heavy fire from the BJP over alleged links between Sonia Gandhi and George Soros.

In a remark that raised eyebrows, senior Samajwadi leader Dimple Yadav said her party stands “neither with the Soros issue nor with the Adani issue”, and wants only a functioning Parliament.

To that end, she called on all political parties to keep the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha running; each House has seen repeated disruptions and adjournments this session as the Congress and BJP clash over Soros-Sonia Gandhi links and the United States’ indictment on Adani Energy.

“The House is running. It was functional today and we are hopeful that it will keep running. We are neither with the Soros issue nor with the Adani issue. We believe the House should run, and we hope people from both sides will show dedication towards functioning of the House.”

“There will be a discussion on the Constitution on Friday and Saturday… the Samajwadi Party wants the House to function,” the MP from Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri told reporters.

#WATCH | Delhi: SP MP Dimple Yadav says, “The House is running. It was functional today and we are hopeful that it keep running… We are neither with the Soros issue nor with the Adani issue. We believe that the House should run. We hope that the people of both sides will show… pic.twitter.com/ws6iw19bGa

— ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2024

The appeal came as there was another ruckus, in the Lok Sabha, after Trinamool MP Kalyan Banerjee locked horns with Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and used a derogatory word.

The clash forced another adjournment of the House, and the remark was expunged.

Ms Yadav’s comments underline the SP-Congress divide; the former party and other INDIA bloc members have not agreed with the Congress on the gameplan for this Parliament session.

The Congress has made it clear it intends to only raise the Adani indictment issue, but others, such as Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool, have a much wider agenda, that includes the violence in Manipur.

READ | “Congress Only Wants…”: Trinamool Against Focus On Adani

“We want Parliament to run. We don’t want to disrupt the House on just one issue. We will hold this government accountable on multiple counts,” Trinamool MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar said earlier.

As a result, the opposition has been largely fractured this session, allowing the BJP to go on the offensive. The ruling party has targeted the Congress over a French news report claiming “hidden links” between a Soros-funded publication and the United States government.

READ | BJP’s Nadda vs Congress’ Kharge In Soros-Sonia Gandhi Link Row

The BJP has alleged the publication in question – the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project – publishes anti-India material that is then used by the Congress to defame the country.

The Congress has hit back firmly at the allegation, rubbishing links between itself and George Soros. The party also thundered, “We are patriots… there is no question of an anti-India stance”.

The Soros-Sonia Gandhi attacks lit up the Rajya Sabha this week, leading to a confrontation between Congress boss Mallikarjun Kharge and his BJP counterpart, JP Nadda.

The Congress alleged Rajya Sabha Chair Jagdeep Dhankhar was ignoring opposition MPs’ voices, in favour of those from the BJP, and, in a historic first, tabled a no-confidence motion in the Chair.

NDTV Explains | No-Trust Vote Against Rajya Sabha Chair, And The Numbers

The motion is unlikely to pass, given the opposition does not have the numbers and because it bypasses a rule stating notice of 14 days is required for the House to consider a vote.

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