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Journalism of Courage
The Delhi government’s latest ad campaign highlighting its ‘odd-even’ scheme shows a man who looks like Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal with a muffler wrapped around his neck and head and praises the efforts of traffic police and volunteers in making the car rationing scheme a success.
In the advertisement, the person narrates the tale of a certain volunteer, who apparently managed to change the heart of an errant motorist by politely nudging him to follow the scheme. “If you spot a violator, fold your hands and politely remind him. No need to fight or argue. Just tell him that you have probably taken out the wrong numbered car by mistake,” the ad says.
The CM seems to have cleverly stepped around the Supreme Court order that no CM photos can be seen in state government ads across media by showing his profile and back, holding the phone throughout as if speaking to the viewer.
The ad, however, has invited a lot of criticism on social media and few spoof videos have surfaced ever since it went on air.
There is one that spliced in the famous call piece from the popular film, Hera Pheri. Watch it here.
Another tweeted out a video that shows what would happen if comedian Johnny Lever took Kejriwal’s call. See the tweet here.
https://twitter.com/DrGPradhan/status/685169778546221056
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Bringing in Big B, Amitabh Bachchan into the ‘call’, a Youtube user published the following spoof: 
And here’s what happened when Adele got a call:
Some of these spoofs, it seems, have come from the camps of supporters of other political parties.
The government’s ad has drawn flack from the opposition as well. Vijender Gupta, Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, said through the advertisement the ruling AAP was indulging in “petty politics”, while Congress spokesperson Sharmistha Mukherjee felt it betrayed Kejriwal’s “scant respect” for law and institutions.
The CM’s act is “unethical” and amounts to encouraging people to violate the law, Gupta said. “Technical arguments that the face is not visible won’t cut ice. As a citizen he has not set a good example,” he said.
Describing “personality cult” as anti-thesis of democracy, the Supreme Court had in May last year barred publication of photos of leaders in government advertisements except those of the President, Prime Minister and the Chief Justice of India.
(With inputs from PTI)
