Fact Check: Video of Chandrababu Naidu offering Eid Namaz is from 2018

Hyderabad: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu returned to the AP Assembly on June 21, 31 months after he promised to return only after he becomes the CM.

In November 2021, Naidu pledged to walk back into the House only as the chief minister, a promise he fulfilled following his party’s sweeping victory in the recently concluded 2024 Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections.

Against this backdrop, a video of CM Chandrababu Naidu participating in Eid Namaz has gone viral.

A Facebook user posted the video with the caption, “Chandra Babu Naidu offering Eid Adha prayer 1445H, (sic)” hinting that the video was shot after the 2024 AP election results were announced. In the video, Naidu is seen wearing a traditional skull cap and participating in prayers alongside other Muslims. The text on the video reads, ‘CM offered Namaz at Gandhi municipal stadium in Vijayawada.’ (Archive)

Similarly, an X user shared the same video claiming that it shows a recent event. The 57-second video bears the logo of ANI, a reputable news agency.(Archive)

A similar post can be seen here. (Archive)

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the claim is misleading as the video is old.

Primarily, the caption in the video mentions Eid ul Fitr, whereas the posts sharing it claim it is from Eid ul Adha. These are two distinct Islamic festivals, celebrated at different times of the year. Eid ul Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, while Eid ul Adha commemorates the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son in obedience to God’s command.

A reverse image search of the video revealed that the original footage was uploaded on the ANI YouTube channel six years ago. The 1-minute and 28-second-long video is titled ‘CM Naidu offers Namaz to mark Eid-ul-Fitr - Andhra Pradesh News.’

Additionally, a post by ANI on X, dated June 16, 2018, confirmed this, stating, "Andhra Pradesh: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu offers Namaz at Gandhi Municipal Stadium in Vijayawada #EidulFitr."

Chandrababu Naidu served three terms as AP CM earlier. He was in office from 1995 to 1999; from 1999 to 2004; and from 2014 to 2019. Hence, in the video, he was referred to as AP CM in 2018. He started his fourth term on June 12, 2024.

Further, a keyword search led us to a report by The Siasat Daily from June 16, 2018. It stated that Naidu participated in Eid prayers, highlighting that he joined the Muslim community in Vijayawada to mark Eid ul Fitr. The report mentioned that Naidu addressed the gathering in Urdu, conveying his greetings and good wishes to the community.

Hence, the claim is misleading as the viral video of CM Chandrababu Naidu offering Eid Namaz is from 2018 and on the occasion of Eid ul Fitr, not Eid ul Adha.