The Maha Kumbh Mela, set to conclude on February 25, continues to attract a large number of devotees. Despite the Uttar Pradesh government’s extensive planning, the event faced criticism, especially after incidents like the fire outbreak and stampede (here, here and here). Amid this, a video (here, here and here) has gone viral on social media showing Hindu religious leader Swami Avimukteshwaranand on a call criticising the Kumbh Mela arrangements. In the video, he claims that while the Yogi government planned for 100 crore people, the system collapsed with just 40 crore attendees. The viral post claims that Swami Avimukteshwaranand was chiding CM Yogi Adityanath in a video call regarding the Maha Kumbh Mela arrangements. Let’s investigate the truth behind this video.
Claim: The viral video shows Swami Avimukteshwaranand confronting CM Yogi Adityanath in a video call, chiding him over the mismanagement of the 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela.
Fact: The viral video was recorded during an interview given by Swami Avimukteshwaranand to the Gujarat-based YouTube channel “Jamawat” on 03 February 2025. In the interview, he criticised the Maha Kumbh arrangements, stating that despite claims of preparations for 100 crore people, the system collapsed when only 40 crore attended. While he did hold CM Yogi responsible in various interviews, the viral video does not show him speaking directly to the CM. Hence the claim is MISLEADING.
To verify the claim, we conducted a reverse image search and found that the video had been uploaded as multiple posts with the same viral narrative (here, here and here), all featuring a watermark reading “Exclusive Chauchak Media.” We then located the Chauchak Media YouTube channel, which had uploaded the same video on 05 February 2025. The footage shows devotees gathered around Swami Avimukteshwaranand in a room, with one of them holding a phone to facilitate his conversation, during which he criticises the Kumbh Mela arrangements. The video’s caption states: “Mahakumbh_2025, Shankaracharya was seen scolding on video call, || Made Yogi Adityanath realize his mistake”, the description does not explicitly mention that CM Yogi Adityanath was on the call.
For further verification, we conducted a keyword search on YouTube, which led us to a video call interview of Swami Avimukteshwaranand with the Jamawat YouTube channel, uploaded on 03 February 2025. This Gujarat-based channel posted a video titled “Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Exclusive,” showing the original interview from which the viral clip was taken but recorded from another angle while the interview was going on. At the 2:30-minute mark, the interviewer asks Swami Avimukteshwaranand about stampedes and deaths occurring in every Kumbh Mela, questioning why no chief minister has ever been asked to resign over such incidents, yet now he is demanding CM Yogi Adityanath’s resignation for the 2025 Kumbh Mela. In response, Swami Avimukteshwaranand explains that the CM should learn from past mistakes and take steps to prevent such tragedies. At the 6:00-minute mark, we can clearly hear the same audio as in the viral clip, where he states that the arrangements were no different from the previous Kumbh, despite claims that preparations were made for 100 crore people, yet a stampede occurred when only 40 crore attended. During this conversation, he used the term “Your Kumbh,” referring to the CM while speaking to the interviewer, but this was misrepresented to suggest he was directly addressing CM Yogi Adityanath in a video call.
A side-by-side comparison of the viral video and the interview footage makes it clear that both are from the same event. Swami Avimukteshwaranand’s attire, the disciple holding an umbrella behind him, and even the room’s setup—including the curtain rod in the background—appear identical in both videos.
A major stampede occurred at the 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela, reportedly causing 30 deaths and 60 injuries. Following the incident, Swami Avimukteshwaranand made headlines, holding CM Yogi Adityanath responsible and demanding his resignation in multiple interviews (here, here and here). However, the viral video falsely claims that he directly confronted the CM in a video call. Vishwas News team reached out to CM Yogi Adityanath’s advisor, Mrityunjay Kumar, who confirmed that no such video call ever took place between Swami Avimukteshwaranand and the U.P. CM Yogi Adityanath.
To sum up, a phone interview of Shankaracharya on Kumbh Mela mismanagement is falsely shared as his video call with CM Yogi Adityanath.
