Following Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate, Aam Aadmi Party, its allies, and their supporters have claimed massive public support for the jailed leader. In line with the claim, a picture of a large gathering has been doing rounds on the internet. Several netizens, apparently AAP supporters, have shared the image asserting that the image reflects a significant surge in public backing for Arvind Kejriwal following his incarceration. However, the claims have been found to be misleading as it uses an old picture of a large religious gathering of Hindu devotees in Puri, Odisha.
यह तस्वीर बया करती है की तानाशाह का अंत निश्चित है…
— RAMCHANDRA SAINI (@RamchandraINC_) March 23, 2024
केजरीवाल की गिरफ़्तारी के ख़िलाफ़ जनता सड़कों पर है pic.twitter.com/Zvmd2QFbob
Incidentally, apart from using the same picture, a large of X users have also copied exactly the same text to peddle the misleading claim. The text in these posts read, “This picture shows that the end of the dictator is certain…People are on the streets against Kejriwal’s arrest. (Emoji for Location) – Chennai.”
यह तस्वीर बया करती है की तानाशाह का अंत निश्चित है…
— Jitega India (@Jitega_India) March 23, 2024
केजरीवाल की गिरफ़्तारी के ख़िलाफ़ जनता सड़कों पर है
📍Chennai pic.twitter.com/GC6oVN59jq
यह तस्वीर बया करती है की तानाशाह का अंत निश्चित है…
— Herkeshi Meena (@HerkeshiM) March 23, 2024
केजरीवाल की गिरफ़्तारी के ख़िलाफ़ जनता सड़कों पर है
📍Chennai pic.twitter.com/udMZwoBqOe
यह तस्वीर बया करती है की तानाशाह का अंत निश्चित है…
— युवाओं की आवाज (@yuvakranti_) March 23, 2024
केजरीवाल की गिरफ़्तारी के ख़िलाफ़ जनता सड़कों पर है
📍Chennai @ArvindKejriwal @AAPDelhi @AAPUttarPradesh pic.twitter.com/HQFGORoPZF
However, OpIndia found that the picture is an old image of a large religious gathering of Hindu devotees who had assembled for the festivities of Jagannath Ji’s Rath Yatra. Additionally, the image was captured in Puri, not in Chennai as falsely claimed in the misleading posts.
Further, it is being circulated with misleading claims that the crowd is of supporters who had gathered there to oppose the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal, who is currently in ED custody in connection with the Delhi Liquor policy scam case.
Conspicuously, social blogging site X’s community notes also flagged a post by an X handle named Jeetu Burdak. Below his post, which promoted the misleading claim of support for the jailed AAP leader, the community note highlighted that the image used in the post dates back to June 2023 and depicts the Rath Yatra in Odisha’s Puri.
यह तस्वीर बया करती है की तानाशाह का अंत निश्चित है…
— Jeetu Burdak (@Jeetuburdak) March 23, 2024
केजरीवाल की गिरफ़्तारी के ख़िलाफ़ जनता सड़कों पर है
📍Chennai pic.twitter.com/L67EwC1mjs
The image of the large religious gathering has been circulating in the media and social media for more than a year before Kejriwal’s arrest. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik had also shared the picture of Jagannath Ji’s Rath Yatra on 20th June 2023.
ଆତୁର ନୟନ, ବିଭୋର ମନ। ବଡ଼ଦାଣ୍ଡରେ ଭକ୍ତ ଓ ଭଗବାନଙ୍କ ଅପୂର୍ବ ମିଳନ। ଜୟ ଜଗନ୍ନାଥ 🙏#RathaJatra2023 #ରଥଯାତ୍ରା୨୦୨୩ pic.twitter.com/unzxhzIafH
— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) June 20, 2023
It is evident that the image pertains to the religious gathering of Hindu devotees from June 2023 from Jagannath Puri, Odisha. While AAP supporters have recently made it viral again, it has nothing to do with the protests held to oppose Kejriwal’s arrest.
On 21st March, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal after questioning him and conducting a search at his house in connection with the Delhi Liquor Policy scam case. He was arrested after he ignored nine summons by the financial probing agency and his request for ‘no-coercive’ action was turned down by the Delhi High Court.
