The visit of Jyoti Malhotra, a 33-year-old vlogger from Haryana recently arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan, to Kerala has come under scrutiny. An Right to Information (RTI) response has revealed that Malhotra was part of a tourism promotion campaign organised by the Kerala Tourism Department.
According to the document, obtained from the Kerala Tourism Department, Malhotra’s visit in 2023 was one of several government-funded campaigns involving various social media influencers. The RTI response also revealed that her itinerary during her stay in Kerala included popular tourist destinations such as Kannur, Kozhikode, Kochi, Alappuzha, and Munnar, all paid for by the state government.
The revelation has sparked a debate over the criteria used to select influencers for such campaigns and the potential security implications of inviting foreign nationals without thorough background checks. The Kerala Tourism Department has stated that they follow standard procedures when selecting influencers, but are currently reviewing their practices in light of this incident.
Meanwhile, the Haryana government and political circles in Uttar Pradesh have seized upon this news to criticize the Kerala government’s handling of foreign relations and national security. However, the Kerala Tourism Department has maintained that Malhotra was not singled out for any special treatment during her visit, but was treated like any other guest on their tourism promotion campaigns.
The incident comes at a time when India-Pakistan tensions are high, and both governments are taking steps to strengthen their border security. The Kerala Tourism Department’s decision to host Malhotra as part of a government-funded campaign has raised questions about the extent to which state tourism departments engage with foreign nationals, especially those with potentially suspicious backgrounds.
As the investigation into Malhotra’s activities continues, the Kerala government and Tourism Department will likely face scrutiny over their handling of this incident and whether they could have taken steps to prevent her from being able to gather sensitive information during her visit.
