A recently surfaced video has placed the BJP in a precarious position, showing former Union Minister V. Muraleedharan alongside YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, who was arrested in May 2025 on charges of spying for Pakistan. The footage, recorded during the inauguration of the Thiruvananthapuram–Kasargod Vande Bharat Express in April 2023, shows Malhotra in conversation with Muraleedharan aboard the official train event , as per a report by the Madhyamam.
BJP members had earlier spotlighted Malhotra’s visit to Kerala, where she participated in a tourism promotion event organised by the Kerala Tourism Department. They alleged her inclusion among official influencers was being leveraged for statewide propaganda.
According to party spokespersons, the Kerala government, and especially Tourism Minister Mohammed Riaz, extended Malhotra’s invitation without knowledge of her alleged espionage background, and should be held accountable .
The opposition, led by V. D. Satheesan, however, has challenged these accusations. Satheesan emphasised that no official in Kerala knew of her alleged arrest at the time and contended that had they been aware, she would never have been invited. He also absolved the Tourism Department and minister from any wrongdoing .
Malhotra hails from Hisar, Haryana, and had built a significant following as a travel vlogger on her YouTube channel “Travel with JO,” boasting over 400,000 subscribers . She was arrested under the Official Secrets Act in May following the Pahalgam terrorist attack, and police claim she confessed to passing sensitive—but non-military—information to Pakistan’s ISI .
The emergence of this video has intensified scrutiny on political discourse, raising questions about public figures’ associations with those accused of espionage. The BJP continues pressing for accountability from Kerala’s CM Pinarayi Vijayan and his cabinet members.
