On Saturday (December 25), Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal came under fierce criticism for wasting the taxpayer’s money on full-page newspaper advertisement. On Christmas day, Arvind Kejriwal has decided to become Santa Claus, ensuring that media companies have a field day with taxpayers money being spent on ads.
In a Twitter thread, activist Vijay Patel shared screenshots of ‘Merry Christmas’ ads run by the Delhi government, not only in national dailies but local newspapers in multiple states of India. “AdMan Kejriwal is wasting crores of Delhi taxpayer’s money in other states. Please check your local newspaper too!” Kejriwal wrote.
#AdMan Kejriwal is wasting crores of Delhi taxpayer’s money in other states.
— Vijay Patel🇮🇳 (@vijaygajera) December 25, 2021
Please check your local newspaper too! pic.twitter.com/LLHgWUuCcJ
Similar front-page ads in local languages were published by the Kejriwal dispensation in the States of Punjab and Chhatisgarh.
#AdManKejriwal in Chhattisgarh pic.twitter.com/CAX9QmE9Qd
— Vijay Patel🇮🇳 (@vijaygajera) December 25, 2021
Vijay Patel also shared how every edition of Hindi Daily ‘Dainik Jagran’ carried the front page ad of Arvind Kejriwal in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.
#AdManKejriwal in UP pic.twitter.com/xbA4IXiRCi
— Vijay Patel🇮🇳 (@vijaygajera) December 25, 2021
Similar ads were published in newspapers in Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan as well.
Netizens slam Arvind Kejriwal for wasting money on ads
“Kejriwal is single-handedly saving newspaper industry by spending 100s of crores on advertising. He is truly supporting one of the pillars of democracy. But haters will keep hating,” a Twitter user (@WokePandemic) took potshots at the Arvind Kejriwal dispensation.
Another user pointed out how all Gujarati newspapers have been carrying the full-page ad by Arvind Kejriwal on the occasion of Christmas. “Not one but ALL Gujarati newspapers. Surprisingly no local leader’s name or photo, only his highness Sir Arvind Kejriwal’s photo is there,” wrote another user.
One user pointed out the hypocrisy of Arvind Kejriwal who had earlier criticised the Narendra Modi government for alleged ‘ over expenditure on advertisements.
Another user asked, “On what basis does the Delhi taxpayer end up footing full-page Christmas Greetings to the people of Gujarat to either publicise Kejriwal or spite Narendra Modi?”
Delhi govt spent ₹150 crore on ads in the first 3 months of 2021
Earlier, an RTI reply dated April 08 had revealed that the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government spent ₹150 crores from January 2021 to March 2021 on advertisements and publicity through various mediums. The RTI reply uploaded by a Twitter user Alok Bhatt revealed Rs 32.52 crores were spent on ads by the AAP government in January 2021, Rs 25.33 crores were spent in February 2021 and a whopping Rs 92.48 crores were spent in March 2021.
This averaged to Rs 1.67 crore daily when the health infrastructure in the national capital had begun to crumble amid the second wave of coronavirus. The reply specified that the total expenditure includes advertisements and publicity through print media, electronic media as well as the internet. Further, Kejriwal government has spent over 800 crores in advertisement expenses in past two years.
