Overview

• RTI disclosures show Kerala Tourism funded Malhotra’s trip as part of a 41-influencer promotional campaign
• A video of Malhotra interviewing Union minister V. Muraleedharan on the Vande Bharat Express has gone viral, deepening the controversy
• The BJP alleges the LDF government is using Muraleedharan’s link to Malhotra to deflect scrutiny over the department’s decision
• Former KPCC president K. Sudhakaran is pressing Tourism Minister P. A. Mohammed Riyas for clarity on the influencer selection process, with Riyas maintaining the invitation was made in good faith
• Malhotra’s government-sponsored footage of strategic sites like the Cochin Shipyard underscores security concerns in state-backed digital outreach