Photo of Kejriwal giving away masks without wearing one himself is old, not related to Covid

The image is from a November 2019 event when the AAP govt kick-started a mask distribution drive in Delhi schools to protect kids from rising levels of pollution.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal helps a school child wear a mask during an event in November 2019 | Twitter | @AamAadmiParty

New Delhi: A photograph of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia standing maskless while they help a school child wear a mask has gone viral on social media.

Former Nagpur Mayor Sandip Joshi shared the picture on his Twitter account and wrote, “Teen bagair mask ke vidvaan bachche ko mask lagana sikha rahe hain (three geniuses without a mask are teaching a kid how to wear one).”

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तीन बगैर मास्क के विद्वान बच्चे को मास्क लगना सिखा रहे हैं. pic.twitter.com/97w7p4RB0P

— Sandip Joshi (@SandipJoshiNGP) April 5, 2021

Former BJP MP from Gaya, Hari Manjhi, also tweeted the image with a caption that read: “Updesh dusro ke liye hai (lectures are reserved for others).”

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उपदेश दूसरों के लिए है । pic.twitter.com/YPuBBE0Hkf

— हरि मांझी (@HariManjhi) April 4, 2021

Several other Twitter accounts also shared the photograph, questioning the Delhi CM for not wearing a mask even as Covid cases rise across the country.

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When even IIT cannot teach you common sense . Three people without mask are teaching how to put a mask. #ShaheedJawan_ShaheedKisan @IYC @priyankagandhi @LambaAlka pic.twitter.com/pfZsb59vrh

— Doga (@DogawithINC) April 5, 2021

Fact check

The photo being circulated on social media was shot in 2019, when the Aam Aadmi Party govt kick-started a mask distribution drive in Delhi schools to protect children from the rising levels of pollution in the city.

Several photographs from the event, including the one being shared now, were posted on the Aam Aadmi Party’s Twitter account on 1 November 2019.

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"Delhi has turned into a 'gas chamber' due to pollution caused by crop burning in neighbouring states.

This is why we are distributing 50lakh masks from today onwards in pvt. and govt. schools.

I urge all Delhiites to use them whenever needed.”@ArvindKejriwal pic.twitter.com/cMUNpHo4dl

— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) November 1, 2019

It’s good to remember that N-95 masks didn’t really enter Delhi lingo after the pandemic. As pollution levels rise in Delhi-NCR every year during winter, people in the national capital are advised to wear masks during those months.