Thiruvananthapuram: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is preparing to use the controversial visit of YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra to Kerala as a political talking point ahead of the upcoming local body and Assembly elections. Jyoti, who was recently arrested on charges of espionage on behalf of Pakistan, had earlier visited Kerala as part of a state-sponsored tourism campaign.

Jyoti was among 41 social media influencers reportedly invited by the Kerala Tourism Department to promote the state. Her visit occurred before the espionage complaint against her was registered. An RTI document recently released confirmed that the department officially hosted Jyoti.

The state government is yet to disclose the exact expenditure on the campaign. However, unofficial sources estimate the cost to be around Rs 75 lakh. Tourism Minister P A Mohammed Riyas defended the campaign, stating that the vloggers were invited with good intentions to boost tourism.

Despite this, BJP leaders have intensified their criticism. Kerala BJP in-charge Prakash Javadekar demanded a clear explanation from Minister Riyas regarding Jyoti’s inclusion. Former BJP state president K Surendran alleged that the vlogger was invited despite her anti-national demeanour.

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla escalated the issue further, citing the RTI response and accusing the Kerala government of hosting a person now accused of spying for Pakistan. “They rolled out the red carpet for Jyoti while banning slogans like 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'," he said, calling for Minister Riyas's resignation.

The case against Jyoti Malhotra is currently being handled by national agencies, and her judicial custody has been extended by a Hisar court for another 14 days. The case will next be heard on 21 July.