An image of BJP MP and actor Ravi Kishan had recently gone viral on social media platforms, purportedly showing him in a Hotstar commercial billboard. The image is being widely shared with the claim that the BJP leader has acknowledged the power cuts in Uttar Pradesh, and is also earning money through this crisis.
A Facebook user shared the image with the caption in Hindi: “यूपी में आजकल इस होर्डिंग की बड़ी चर्चा है। रवि किशन बता रहा है कि यूपी में बिजली तो बहुत जाती है। ये गोरखपुर का सांसद है जहाँ से मुख्यमंत्री आते हैं।अच्छे दिन आ गये है.” This translates to: “There is a big discussion of this hoarding in UP nowadays. Ravi Kishan is telling us that there are a lot of power cuts in UP. This is the MP of Gorakhpur from where the chief minister hails from. Good days have come.”
FACT CHECK
While fact-checking the viral image, NewsMobile found it shared with a misleading claim.
On performing Reverse Image Search, we found this image doing the rounds on social media platforms since May 2019. A Facebook user shared this image on May 13, 2019, with a caption: “Want to watch the cricket, but power cuts again and again. This is the Madhya Pradesh government. This hoarding is displayed on Ramchandra Nagar Chauraha Airport Road.”
One can also notice ‘Nagar Palika Nigam Indore’ written below the billboard.
On checking further, we found a news article published on the Bhopal Samachar website on May 14, 2019. The report talked about frequent power cuts in Indore. The article mentioned that the hoarding was located near Holkar College in Indore.
Notedly, the results of the 2019 General Elections were announced on May 23, 2019. BJP candidate and Bhojpuri actor Ravi Kishan won the Gorakhpur seat and was officially declared as the Member of Parliament from Gorakhpur. Hence, the hoarding was displayed before Ravi Kishan became Gorakhpur MP.
Therefore, it is understood now that the viral claim is misleading.
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