Tourism dept, minister not to blame for inviting Jyoti Malhotra to Kerala: UDF

Thiruvananthapuram | Under fire over the participation of alleged spy Jyoti Malhotra in a Tourism department event, the LDF government on Tuesday received support from the most unexpected quarters, with the opposition Congress saying the ruling dispensation was not at fault.

The Congress statement comes in the wake of BJP leader Surendran's criticism.

However, Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan said had CPI(M) been in the opposition, it would have demanded the resignation of the Tourism Minister over the issue.

Had the government known she was a spy, it would not have invited her to the state, he said.

"No one knew she was carrying out espionage when she was here. So, what can be done about that? We are a responsible opposition, we do not blame the government unnecessarily," he said.

The opposition leader was replying to reporters' queries regarding the state government inviting Malhotra to Kerala for promoting its tourism.

The issue assumes importance as BJP leader K Surendran recently questioned why "a Pak-linked spy's trip" was sponsored by Kerala Tourism.

Kerala Tourism Minister P A Mohammed Riyas, who had recently brushed aside the allegation as "worthless propaganda", on Tuesday reiterated that the government was not aware of what Malhotra was involved in when she was invited to the state.

He said that the government also did not receive any adverse information about her from any of the agencies.

"She went to states ruled by various political parties, including the BJP. Now, some BJP leaders want a probe into the matter. The intention behind all this is only to create unnecessary controversy," he said.

Meanwhile, amidst the raging row, a purported video of Malhotra interacting with the then Union Minister of State for External Affairs, V Muraleedharan, went viral on social media.

Some Malayalam news channels also aired the same video of her interviewing Muraleedharan during the inaugural run of the orange-coloured Vande Bharat Express from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram in September 2023.

In the video, the BJP leader can be seen telling her, in English and Malayalam, how the train would benefit the people of the state.

Following such news reports, Muraleedharan claimed that his name was being dragged into the issue by the state government to escape from the controversy.

He, in a statement, said that dragging his name into the issue will not put the BJP on the defensive.

He alleged that the state government was on the defensive ever since information emerged that the Tourism department sponsored Malhotra's visit to Kerala.

The BJP leader said that many people took his response during the inaugural run of the Vande Bharat train and one of them was Malhotra, but he was not the one who invited her to the state.

He also questioned what procedure was followed by the state when it brought the social media influencer.

Malhotra was arrested in May this year, after the Pahalgam terror attack, on suspicion of spying for Pakistan.