A viral social media claim alleging that Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge is seen carrying a suitcase for former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in an old photograph has been debunked. Fact-checking outlet BOOM Live conducted an investigation into the image, which has been widely circulated to suggest a history of subservience within the party hierarchy. The analysis confirms that the man pictured alongside Rajiv Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi is not Mallikarjun Kharge.
According to the findings, the individual in the photograph is Siddharth Reddy, who was a close personal friend of the late Rajiv Gandhi. The visual evidence, when compared with known photographs of Kharge from that era, shows distinct physical differences that contradict the viral claim. The misidentification appears to have been part of a broader effort to misrepresent the political history and personal associations of senior Congress leadership.
This incident highlights the ongoing challenge of misinformation regarding political figures in India, where manipulated or miscaptioned historical photographs are frequently used to influence public perception. By clarifying the identity of the person in the frame, the investigation provides a necessary correction to the narrative being pushed by anonymous social media accounts. No further evidence has emerged to support the original claim, and the identification of Siddharth Reddy remains the verified account of the event captured in the photo.
BOOM Live has successfully debunked a viral claim by identifying the individual in the photograph as Siddharth Reddy, a known associate of Rajiv Gandhi, rather than Mallikarjun Kharge. The visual evidence and historical context provided by the fact-check clarify the misidentification circulating on social media.
No corroborating trusted sources found.
Original report: BOOM Live