‘Nobody knew she was a spy’: Kerala minister on state govt hosting Jyoti Malhotra for tourism promotion

Kerala tourism minister PA Mohammed Riyas said the state government was not aware of YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra’s involvement in espionage when it hosted her, along with other influencers to promote tourism in the state. The minister’s response comes after an Right to Information query revealed that Malhotra, along with other 40 social media influencers, visited Kerala on a fully-funded trip under an initiative to market Kerala as a global tourist destination.

“Bringing influencers from outside the state to Kerala was not started today or yesterday. It has been there for a very long time. For that, empanelled agencies will list them and take steps for bringing them. In the list of who they should bring, the Tourism Minister does not interfere. This person also did not come alone, there were many other influencers. She was arrested months after she came here and returned,” he said. 

“When she came here nobody knew that she was someone like this. State government doesn't  know. The agency doesn't know. She has gone to many other states. She has gone to states ruled by different political parties. Are all the governments in those places responsible for this? The idea is to create unnecessary controversy,” said the minister, adding that this should not create a problem for the tourism sector.  

The RTI revealed that the government covered the travel, accommodation, and food expenses of Malhotra and the other influencers, and hired a private agency to assist with video shoots during their visits.

The BJP criticised the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government for not properly vetting the backgrounds of the influencers invited for the campaign. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla questioned the decision to host Malhotra, whom he referred to as a Pakistani spy, and called for the Tourism Minister Mohammad Riyas to be sacked and investigated.

The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) also expressed concerns about the lack of background checks. IUML leader PK Firos said that if the influencer had been from the Muslim community, there would have been greater scrutiny. He criticised the minister's response to questions about the vetting process, saying the minister dismissed concerns and encouraged the media to publish whatever they wished.

Jyoti Malhotra was arrested on May 16, shortly after Operation Sindoor. She was part of the Kerala Tourism Department's promotional campaign between January 1, 2024, and May 21, 2025. During this period, she travelled to Kannur, Kozhikode, Kochi, Alappuzha, and Munnar.