Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said that our country got freedom because of Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

Though Yadav did compliment Jinnah; however, he did not solely credit him for the country's independence from the British.

Though Yadav did compliment Jinnah; however, he did not solely credit him for the country's independence from the British. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav gave a speech at Lucknow Public School, Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh, on October 31, 2021. After Yadav's speech, several opposition leaders and media outlets questioned him for allegedly stating that India got independence from British rule because of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the first Governor-General of Pakistan.

According to a Times of India report, while delivering the speech, Yadav said that "Sardar Patel, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and (Muhammad Ali) Jinnah studied in the same institute. They became barristers and fought for India's freedom." However, the freedom fighters mentioned in the same bracket as Jinnah miffed several opposition leaders. State Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath called the remarks coming from a man with a "Talibani mindset," NDTV reported.

On being questioned over the same controversy on November 6, Yadav refused to clear the context in which he mentioned Jinnah and told the reporters to read textbooks. "Why should I say the context? I would say read the books again," he said.

Jinnah was the founder of Pakistan. He served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until the inception of Pakistan on August 14, 1947.

Though Akhilesh Yadav did mention Jinnah's name alongside Indian freedom fighters, he did not solely credit Jinnah for the country's freedom. Thus, the claim is partly true.