Morphed billboard saying ‘thank taxpayer, not Kejriwal’ shared online

by Kinjal

A picture of a billboard that reads, “Nothing in this country is free. If you are getting something without paying for it, thank a taxpayer. Not to Kejriwal” was shared by BJP MP Paresh Rawal amid the ongoing assembly elections. His tweet drew over 16,000 likes.

The image is massively widespread on Facebook.

Last year, the same image was tweeted by BJP member Surendra Poonia.

Twitter user @ExSecular had also shared the image.

The image was also circulating in March 2021. It is noteworthy that the Delhi CM has provided certain services to the public free of charge, including free bus travel for women, free water supply up to 20,000 litres and free treatment at the Mohalla Clinics.

Several users shared the image back in 2020 as well, including Times Now Navbharat journalist Shweta Bhattacharya.

The year before, it was tweeted by BJP supporter Renuka Jain.

Morphed image

Alt News performed a search using the keywords ‘taxpayers billboard‘ and found the viral picture posted on a number of sites. It was shared in a June 2015 article by Yellow Hammer, an American media portal. The text on the image does not refer to Kejriwal or any other political party.

According to the article, the picture of the hoarding was first tweeted by the Alabama Free Market Alliance (AFMA) on June 5, 2015.

Therefore, an old picture of a billboard in the United States was edited and circulated on social media to target Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.

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About the Author

Kinjal Parmar holds a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology. However, her keen interest in journalism, drove her to pursue journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication. At Alt News since 2019, she focuses on authentication of information which includes visual verification, media misreports, examining mis/disinformation across social media. She is the lead video producer at Alt News and manages social media accounts for the organization.