Fact Check: Old Video of Delhi Minister Atishi ‘Cancelling’ Power Subsidy Viral as Recent

Claim: A video of Aam Aadmi Party leader and Delhi's Power Minister, Atishi Marlena, announcing the 'termination' of the free electricity subsidy scheme in New Delhi is going viral on social media.

In the video, the minister can be heard saying that tomorrow onwards, the subsidy scheme will not be applied to "new electricity bills, starting tomorrow." The video is being shared to claim that the statement was made recently, amid the ongoing 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Those sharing the video are asking people to vote carefully.

Fact Check: This video has been clipped from a press conference held on 14 April 2023, and is not related to the 2024 general elections.

In 2023, Atishi spoke about the electricity subsidy being stopped in Delhi, due to a tiff between the state's AAP government and the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi VK Saxena.

Team WebQoof had published a fact-check on the same clipped video in 2023, when it was being shared with misleading context. We ran a reverse image search using Google, which led us to a X (formerly Twitter) by news agency ANI, carrying updates from an AAP press conference. The thread carried the same visuals, and was shared on 14 April 2023.

We also found news reports related to the press conference by India Today and Mint, also published in April 2023.

The subsidy issue: In the conference, Atishi called out LG Saxena's office for holding up files related to the subsidy scheme.

She said that funds for the scheme could not be released without clearance from the LG's end, and that she was unable to set an appointment with him.

After this press conference, the LG's office dismissed her statements, claiming they were misleading and false.

Later that day, the free electricity subsidy scheme was extended for the year 2023-24, with LG Saxena's approval.

Conclusion: The video dates back to April 2023 and is not related to the ongoing general elections.