Mohammed Zubair calls out Amit Malviya for sharing fake claim on Rahul Gandhi selfie
Lucknow, July 15 – A photograph of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi taken inside a Lucknow courtroom has sparked a wave of misinformation, after BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya and others falsely claimed that the man taking a selfie with Gandhi was the judge hearing his case. The man in the image has now been identified as Advocate Syed Mahmood Hasan, not a member of the judiciary.
The image was taken on Tuesday at the Special MP-MLA Court in Lucknow, where Rahul Gandhi appeared in connection with a 2018 defamation case filed by BJP leader Vijay Mishra. The case relates to remarks Gandhi allegedly made against Union Home Minister Amit Shah. During the hearing, Special Judge H.R. Yadav granted him bail.
After the proceedings, several people including lawyers took photos with Gandhi inside the court premises. One of those images, featuring Advocate Syed Mahmood Hasan taking a selfie, was shared by multiple social media users — including BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya — who falsely claimed the man was the judge presiding over the case.
The misleading narrative raised serious concerns about judicial impartiality, and was widely amplified by IT cell accounts and influencers. However, the claim was swiftly debunked by fact-checkers and media outlets.
Fact-checker Mohammed Zubair of Alt News took to X (formerly Twitter) to counter the misinformation. Sharing screenshots of Malviya’s tweet, Zubair wrote:
"BJP IT cell head @amitmalviya deleted this tweet after it was pointed out that he was an advocate Syed Mahmood Hasan and not a Judge. Other IT cell members are yet to delete."
BJP IT cell head @amitmalviya deleted this tweet after it was pointed out that he was an advocate Syed Mahmood Hasan and not a Judge. Other IT cell members are yet to delete. pic.twitter.com/YLi8g76c0b
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) July 15, 2025
Advocate Syed Mahmood Hasan, a resident of Barabanki and practicing lawyer at the Lucknow District Court since 2006, also clarified his identity. “I had gone to meet Rahul Gandhi. I am not a judge, I am just a lawyer,” he told local media. “I admire him and simply took a selfie, like many others present.”
Legal experts and civil society members have criticised the deliberate spread of such false claims, pointing out the damage it causes to public trust in judicial institutions. The court's bail order, passed by Judge H.R. Yadav, had no connection to the viral photograph or the advocate involved.
Despite the clarification and Malviya deleting his tweet, many others from BJP's digital ecosystem continue to circulate the misleading post without correction.
Critics say this incident is part of a larger pattern of political disinformation and underlines the need for stronger moderation and accountability on social media platforms.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Rupee crashes 33 paise to fresh record low of 94.29 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee crashed 33 paise to a fresh all-time low of 94.29 against the US dollar in early trade on Friday, weighed down by elevated oil prices and a stronger greenback amid no breakthrough in the West Asia conflict.
Heavy sell-off in domestic equity markets and sustained FII outflows put further pressure on the local unit, according to forex traders.
At the interbank foreign exchange, the local unit opened at 94.18 and slipped further to 94.29 against the greenback, down 33 paise from its previous close.
The rupee slumped 20 paise to close at a record low of 93.96 against the US dollar on Wednesday. Stock, forex, commodity, and bullion markets remained closed on Thursday on account of Ram Navami.
"With Brent oil prices again going past USD 105.75 per barrel, and the dollar index rising towards 100, the rupee opened weak," Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director, Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP, said.
The dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.08 per cent higher at 99.67.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, rose overnight before easing towards the end, down 0.78 per cent at USD 107.1 per barrel in futures trade.
"Brent oil was up to USD 107.50 per barrel but fell after US President Donald Trump postponed strikes on Iranian power plants by 10 days," Bhansali added.
On the domestic equity market front, the Sensex tumbled 926.92 points to 74,346.53 in morning trade, while Nifty was down 280.95 points to 23,025.50.
Foreign institutional investors sold equities worth Rs 1,805.37 crore on a net basis on Wednesday, according to exchange data.
