This Viral Image of SP Leader Akhilesh Yadav With Jyoti Malhotra Is Edited

Fact-Check | The image is old and edited to add the face of arrested YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

An image which shows Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav with YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, who has been arrested for allegedly spying for Pakistan, is going viral on social media platforms as a real visual.

An archive of the post can be found here.

(Source: X (formerly Twitter)/Screenshot)

The above post had gained over 45 thousand views on the platform.

More archives of similar claims can be found here, here, and here.

Is this claim true?: The image has been edited to add Malhotra's face in it. The original picture dates back to January 2017 and showed Akhilesh Yadav standing next to Dimple Yadav, when SP had launched its election manifesto.

How did we find that out?: On conducting a simple Google Lens search, we found the same visual published in a report by The Indian Express.

• The report said that SP released its manifesto that promised a host of schemes for the development of Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2017 state assembly elections.

• The photo was shared with a caption that said, "Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and newly appointed party president Akhilesh Yadav unveils party manifesto ahead of Assembly election, in Lucknow on Sunday."

The report was published on 22 January 2017.

(Source: The Indian Express/Screenshot)

Comparing visuals: When we compared the viral image to the one shared in the Indian Express news report, we found that the former has been edited to add Malhotra's face.

A comparison clearly shows that the viral image has been edited.

(Source: Indian Express/Screenshot/Altered by The Quint)

Other sources: ABP News, too, shared visuals from the manifesto launch event on their official YouTube channel on 22 January 2017. Its title that said, "UP polls 2017: Akhilesh Yadav releases Samajwadi party's election manifesto."

• The video report showed Dimple Yadav standing next to her husband, Akhilesh Yadav.

Conclusion: It is evident that the viral image has been edited to add Jyoti Malhotra's face.

(Not convinced of a post or information you came across online and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9540511818 , or e-mail it to us at [e-mail] and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)