Fact-Check: Akhilesh Yadav’s Photo With Dimple Yadav Paying Tributes At Mulayam Singh’s Mausoleum Going Viral With False Claims

New Delhi Vishvas News – Ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, a surge of misleading and fake election propaganda claims is flooding social media platforms. One such instance involves a picture circulating on social media, claiming that Akhilesh Yadav and Dimple Yadav visited the grave of mafia figure Atiq Ahmed and paid homage to him.

However, Vishvas News conducted an investigation and refuted these claims, revealing them to be false and propagated with the intention of election propaganda against Akhilesh Yadav. The viral image captures Akhilesh Yadav and his wife paying tribute at the tomb of his father and former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mulayam Singh Yadav. This photo was taken before the nomination of Dimple Yadav as the Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate in the by-election for the Mainpuri seat, which became vacant following the demise of Mulayam Singh Yadav. During this period, Akhilesh Yadav and Dimple Yadav visited Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Samadhi site to pay their respects.

What’s Going Viral?

Social media user ‘Kishor Shah‘, while sharing the viral picture wrote, “Encounter Mein Dher Hue Atiq Ahmed Aur Ashraf Ki Kabr Pr Unke Bete Bahu, Akhilesh Aur Dimple Yadav. Hinduo Mein Jaichando Ki Kami Nahi Hai”. (The text of the post has been written as it is.) Many other users on different social media platforms have shared this picture with similar claims.

Investigation:

Upon conducting a reverse image search of the viral picture, a post shared from Akhilesh Yadav’s official X handle on November 14, 2022, was found, featuring the same image. The post stated, “Netaji’s socialist beliefs are being represented as the SP candidate in the Mainpuri by-election. The overwhelming response from individuals across party lines who have gathered in Saifai to pay homage to Netaji transcends political affiliations, indicating a significant victory for the SP candidate.”

The same image was also shared from Dimple Yadav’s official X handle, accompanied by a message expressing reverence for Netaji’s principles and values, dedicating the day’s nomination to him. It’s worth noting that following Mulayam Singh Yadav’s passing, his daughter-in-law, Dimple Yadav, contested and won the by-election for his seat as an SP candidate, having paid tribute to him at his mausoleum before filing her nomination.

Various news reports have also featured this picture. It’s notable that Mulayam Singh Yadav’s daughter-in-law, Dimple Yadav, emerged victorious from this seat in the by-election after his demise.

Regarding the viral picture, Gaurav Dudeja, the Etawah in charge of our colleague Dainik Jagran, confirmed that it depicts the tomb of former Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav. Mulayam Singh Yadav’s funeral took place in Saifai, where his mausoleum is situated. According to reports, a grand memorial is being constructed near this mausoleum, with mention of his Samadhi site at Saifai in other reports.

It’s important to note that content shared with false claims often stems from a specific ideological standpoint. For more fact-check reports on misleading and false claims related to elections, readers can refer to the election section of Vishvas News.