While Mahakumbh 2025 is being widely praised worldwide, some elements are attempting to create rumours about this religious and cultural gathering of Sanatan Dharma by spreading fake videos and misleading news on social media.

In response, Uttar Pradesh Police has launched a strict crackdown on those engaging in such malicious activities. On the instructions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the police is monitoring platforms round- the- clock and have so far taken legal action against 54 social media accounts involved in spreading rumours through false and misleading posts, police officials here on Friday disclosed.

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During routine social media monitoring yesterday, the police identified two misleading videos falsely linked to Mahakumbh.One of the misleading videos claimed that a massive fire broke out at the Mahakumbh bus stand, resulting in 40-50 vehicles being burnt to ashes. However, it turned out that the video was actually from a 2020 oil pipeline accident in Egypt. The police registered an FIR at Kotwali Kumbh Mela police station against seven social media accounts responsible for spreading this false information.

At the same time, another misleading video falsely claimed that “nationalist people threw slippers at army jawans in Kumbh.” In reality, the footage was from a chaotic event during a film production in Patna. The police identified 15 social media accounts responsible for spreading this misinformation and has taken legal action against them.

Accounts linking the Egypt fire incident to Mahakumbh 2025 are India With Congress (@UWCforYouth) X (Twitter),Harindra Kumar Rao (@kumar.harindra.rao) Instagram, Anil Patel (@_1_4_3_anil_patel) Instagram, Vishal Babu (@a.v.r_rider_0) Instagram,Nemi Chand (@nemichand.kumawat.2022) Instagram,Sifa Bhadoriya (@bhadoriya6285) Instagram and Hello prayagraj(@Hello_Prayagraj) YouTube.

Also, accounts linking the Patna incident to Mahakumbh are Inderjeet Barak (@inderjeetbarak) – X (Twitter), SUNIL (@sunil1997_) – X (Twitter), Nihal Shaikh (@mr_nihal_sheikh) – X (Twitter), Dimpi (@Dimpi77806999) – X (Twitter),Sat Sewa (@lalitjawla76) – X (Twitter), Sandesh Vatak News (@Sandeshvataksv) – X (Twitter), Lokesh Meena (@LOKESHMEEN46402) – X (Twitter),Raj Singh Chaudhary (@RajSingh_Jakhar) – X (Twitter), Yunus Alam – Facebook, Aminuddin Siddiqui – Facebook, Arvind Singh Yadav Ahirwal – Facebook, 12. Shivam Kumar Kushwaha – Facebook,Jain Renu – Facebook, Amit Kumar II – Facebook and Mehtar Ek Yoddha Ballia – Facebook, the police said.

In the past month, the state police has taken strict action against various misleading posts and videos attempting to tarnish the image of Mahakumbh 2025. Some major incidents include January 13, 2025: A Twitter user posted a mock fire drill video, falsely claiming it was an actual fire incident at Mahakumbh, February 2, 2025: Action was taken against seven accounts that circulated an old video from Nepal, falsely presenting it as a stampede at Mahakumbh, February 7, 2025: An FIR was registered against a Facebook account that misrepresented a large crowd in the Sangam area as a stampede, February 9, 2025: A case was filed against 14 Twitter accounts for falsely linking an incident in Dhanbad, Jharkhand, to Mahakumbh and February 12, 2025: Action was taken against seven accounts that falsely claimed images of dead bodies found in Ghazipur (2021) were from Mahakumbh.

In view of all this, the UP Police have devised a comprehensive cyber strategy to safeguard Mahakumbh 2025. A dedicated cyber-patrolling team is continuously monitoring social media platforms, swiftly identifying and countering misleading posts. FIRs are being promptly registered against individuals spreading rumours. Additionally, the police are leveraging the expertise of social media professionals to tackle misinformation effectively.

The state DGP Prashant Kumar has urged the public to verify the authenticity of any information before sharing it on social media. He warned that strict legal action would be taken against those spreading rumours to ensure that the sanctity of Mahakumbh Mela remains intact.