Priyanka Gandhi was smiling during visit to tribal woman’s house after fatal tiger attack in Kerala?
Viral news card is edited
On January 24, 2025, a 45-year-old tribal woman named Radha was mauled to death by a tiger in a private coffee plantation near the forest in Pancharakolly, close to Mananthavady town in Wayanad. The incident sparked major protests by locals.
Amid this, a purported Asianet News card titled “Priyanka Gandhi at the House of Radha, Woman Killed in a Tiger Attack” has been widely shared on social media. The card features an image of Priyanka Gandhi standing with her daughter, Miraya Vadra, with a caption alleging that Priyanka was smiling during her visit to Radha’s house.
A Facebook user shared the card with the caption, "Someone who cannot tell the difference between a house of mourning and a wedding celebration. The villagers say even the tiger has more sense than this!" (Translated from Malayalam) (Archive)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found the claim to be false, as the circulated news card was digitally altered.
Priyanka Gandhi visited Wayanad on January 28, 2025. However, the presence of her daughter, Miraya Vadra, in the viral image raised doubts about its authenticity, as Miraya did not accompany her mother during the visit.
The original news card regarding Priyanka’s visit, shared by the official Facebook page of Asianet News, features Priyanka Gandhi alongside K. C. Venugopal, AICC General Secretary and MP for Alappuzha. The image in this news card shows both Congress leaders visiting Radha’s house and meeting her family.
A similar image was also found in an Asianet News report published on January 28, covering Priyanka’s visit and the protests over her late arrival. This further confirms that the viral news card was altered by superimposing an unrelated image over the original card.
Various news channels broadcast live footage of Priyanka Gandhi visiting Radha’s house. A Manorama News video on YouTube shows a similar scene to the one in the original Asianet News card.
The dress worn by Priyanka Gandhi in all these visuals is the same and differs from the one in the viral news card. This indicates that the viral card has been altered and the image is not from Wayanad.
Additionally, the outfit worn by Priyanka Gandhi in these visuals is different from the one in the viral news card, indicating that the viral image was not taken during her visit to Wayanad.
A reverse image search led us to the viral image shared on The Hindu’s X (formerly Twitter) handle on May 25, 2024. The post states that it shows Priyanka Gandhi outside a polling booth in New Delhi with her daughter after casting her vote in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections.
#ElectionsWithTheHindu | Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi with her daughter Miraya Vadra gestures outside a polling station after casting her vote, during the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections, in New Delhi.
— The Hindu (@the_hindu) May 25, 2024
📸: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap/ The Hindu pic.twitter.com/lBgmbodWz8
The news card circulating with the claim that Priyanka Gandhi was smiling while standing at Radha's house in Wayanad has been digitally altered. An old image was superimposed onto the original Asianet News card, making the claim false.
(This story was originally published by newsmeter.in, and republished by english.varthabharati.in as part of the Shakti Collective)
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
