Amid the controversy over a new RTI revelation that YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, who was arrested in a spy case related to Pakistan, had come to Kerala at the invitation of the Tourism Department, Kerala Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas claimed that  she ( Jyoti Malhotra) was invited to the state with good intentions and that the government had no knowledge of her alleged involvement in espionage for Pakistan.

Riyas said here  on Sunday that the government was totally unaware of Jyoti’s doings and asked whether anyone would seriously believe that a state  government would knowingly invite a person accused of sedition to participate in an official event. He added that he is not afraid of false propaganda.

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“How is it possible for a state government to invite an accused charged with sedition? The government was totally unaware of Jyoti’s doings .However, I don’t fear the smear campaign ongoing in social media,” Riyas said.

Criticizing the media, Riyas openly said that news should not be reported without investigating the facts. “Let those spreading falsehoods continue with their propaganda .We have nothing to fear,” he said.

A controversy has erupted after an RTI document revealed that YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, who was arrested in a spy case related to Pakistan, had come to Kerala at the invitation of the Tourism Department. The government paid money to bring vloggers from the country, including Jyoti. Jyoti Malhotra had visited Kannur, Kozhikode, Kochi, Alappuzha and Munnar and had also prepared and released  vlogs. 

She  visited Kerala three months ago and captured footages of high-security areas , including the strategically-crucial Cochin Shipyard

A recent Right to Information (RTI) document  confirmed that Jyoti Malhotra, a vlogger from Haryana, who was arrested in a spy case related to Pakistan, had visited Kerala as part of a tourism promotion campaign. Her name appeared on the official list of 41 social media influencers engaged by the Tourism Department for promotional activities.