The left government in Kerala was involved in controversy after the reaction of the RTI (the right to information) allegedly revealed that Jyoti Malhotr, the accused “Pakistani spy”, was one of the 41 influences of social media that state tourism in the state in the state.
Later, the supposed video showed that Jyoti Malhotra interacts with the former Minister of the Union and the leader of BJP in Muraleedharan.
Also read | “Pakistani spy” Jyoti Malhotra visited Keraral at Govt Invitation, reveals RTI
Who is Jyoti Malhotra?
Jyoti Malhotr, resident of Haryany’s Hisar, was arrested on May 16, several days after the Sindoor operation, for suspicion of espionage.
Police claimed that Jyoti Malhotra was ” Pakistan Before the attack of Pahalgam and the investigation, it is established to establish its links to the alleged spy network that focuses on the Indian influences of social media to collect intelligence. It was claimed to go to Pakistan, “like sponsored trips”.
What did RTI reveal?
The RTI reaction reportedly revealed that the tourism department in Kerala was invited to a campaign to support tourism in the state.
According to Mathrubhumi, prominent Malaysalaam daily, a question under the Information Act revealed that the government of Kereral funded 41 influencers who decided to promote Kera as a global tourist destination.
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Jyoti Malhotra was among these 41 influential persons.
The state government allegedly paid for its travel, accommodation and food and pushed into a private agency to help them shoot videos during their stay.
Viral video
After the answer of RTI has made such apparitions, a video showed on the social media, showing Jyoti Malhotra with the leader of BJP Muraleedharan during the Vande Bharat Express inauguration run from Kasaragod to Thiruvanthapuram in September 2023, PTI.
Also read | Police grills of MPs Jyoti Malhotra over suspicion of espionage: so far the case
Mint could not verify the video separately.
The controversial youtuber, invited by Indian railways, could be seen along with the invited guests, including the leader of the BJP and the then Minister of the Union in Muraleedharan and the then state president to Surendran.
In the video, the BJP leader can see how she tells her in English and Malayalam how the train would benefit the state.
Also read | “Spy” Jyoti Malhotr admits that he was in contact with a Pakistani clerk
Muraleedharan reacts
After the news reports, Muraleedharan claimed that the state government had drawn his name into a problem to escape the controversy.
He argued that the state government had been defensive since it turned out that the Ministry of Tourism had sponsored the Malotra visit to Kerala.
Also read | Meet Jyoti Malhotra: YouTuber based in Haryana arrested for charging of espionage
According to PTI, the BJP leader said that many people accepted his answer during the Vande Bharat inauguration run, and one of them was Malhotra, but he wasn’t the one who invited her to the state.
He also asked what the state was followed by when it brought influence on social media.
Political line
Some BJP leaders, including Shehzad spokesman Poonawally, quoted the answer to the RTI to claim that Malhotra had visited Kera at the invitation of the state government. “So Bharat Mata is blocked and then the spies is given by a red carpet on the left,” Poonawalla said.
The Indian Communist Party said that “it strongly condemns the BJP attempt to drag Keral’s government into the case of spying Jyoti Malhotr to cover his own grave failure in national security”.
CPI Sandosh Kumar said it was outrageous to propose that the state government was responsible for traveling YouTuber to Pakistan when under the control of the Union of Passport, Visas Winding and Monitoring.
Also read | “Pakistani spy” youtuber Jyototi Malhotra’s father: “He can’t call his friends …”
The Minister of Tourism Keral PA Mohammed Riyas, who recently postponed the accusation as “worthless propaganda”, reiterated on Tuesday that the government was not aware of what Malhotra was involved when invited to the state.
He said the government also did not receive any unfavorable information about it from any of the agencies.
“She went to states dominated by different political parties, including BJP. Now some BJP leaders want a probe into this matter. The intention of all this is just to create unnecessary controversy,” Riyas said.
Congress supports Kerala Govt
Under a fire over the alleged participation of Spa Jyoti Malhotra at the Tourism Department, the LDF government received support from the most unexpected neighborhoods on Tuesday: the opposition Congress.
The head of the opposition in the State Assembly, VD Satheesan, said the government would not invite her to the state if she knew she was a spy.
“No one knew he was doing essential when she was here. So what can be done about it? We’re responsible opposition, we don’t necessarily blame the government,” PTI quoted.
(Tagstotranslate) Muraleedharan
