Video of Kerala BJP leaders with Jyoti Malhotra surfaces amid espionage row
A VIDEO has surfaced showing prominent BJP leaders in Kerala alongside YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, who is currently under arrest in an espionage cas, reports IANS as quoted by online news sites.
The footage has emerged just days after BJP leaders criticized the Kerala government for inviting Malhotra as part of its influencer outreach initiative.
The video, recorded during the 2023 inaugural run of the Vande Bharat Express from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram, shows Malhotra speaking with then Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan.
She is seen engaging the minister in a promotional conversation about the significance of the high-speed train. Then-Kerala BJP President K. Surendran is also seen seated next to Muraleedharan.
Malhotra was among 41 influencers invited by the Kerala Tourism Department, with her travel and accommodations arranged by a private agency contracted by the state.
The video has added a new twist to the ongoing political row. BJP leaders had recently launched a sharp attack on the Pinarayi Vijayan-led CPI(M) government, criticizing it for hosting Malhotra despite her arrest in an espionage case. The BJP pointed out that her entire trip to Kerala—including travel, lodging, meals, and filming expenses—was sponsored by a contractor working for the state’s Tourism Department.
Senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar demanded accountability, stating, “The Kerala government must explain how such a serious lapse occurred. They cannot simply brush this aside.”
In response, the CPI(M) condemned the BJP’s criticism, accusing it of politicizing the issue to distract from the party’s own shortcomings on national security.
Tourism Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas—who is also Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s son-in-law—faced intense scrutiny from BJP leaders over Malhotra’s participation in the state-sponsored program.
With the release of the video showing BJP leaders themselves engaging with Malhotra during a high-profile public event, both parties are now working to distance themselves from any association with the accused.
At the time of her visit to Kerala, Jyoti Malhotra had no known allegations against her and was widely regarded as a standard social media content creator. Her involvement in the tourism campaign was in line with her professional role as an influencer.
