An old photograph of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi is being widely circulated on social media. The picture shows Rajiv Gandhi along with his son Rahul Gandhi and several other people. A man carrying two suitcases can also be seen in the viral image. Social media users are claiming that the man carrying the suitcases is Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
Sharing the photograph, one user wrote, ‘Who is the person seen carrying the briefcase? It is Mallikarjun Kharge—the current Congress President and a sycophant of the Gandhi family—who projects himself as the foremost Dalit leader. He holds the presidency today as a reward for such tasks; this reflects the regard the Gandhi family had for Dalits—treating them like mere servants. Now, judge for yourself who is truly anti-Dalit…!
Another user, Janardan Mishra, shared the image with the caption, ‘They stood firm then, and they stand firm today as well, Mr. Kharge…….’
Several other social media users have also shared the photograph claiming that the person carrying the suitcases is Mallikarjun Kharge.
Times Headline Fact Check
The Times Headline investigation found that the claim is misleading. The man seen carrying the suitcases in the viral photograph is not Mallikarjun Kharge. He is Siddharth Reddy, who was known to be a close associate and friend of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
To verify the photograph, a reverse image search was conducted using Google Lens. The same photograph was found in a social media post shared by Rahul Gandhi on May 21, 2024. Rahul Gandhi had posted the picture on the death anniversary of his father, Rajiv Gandhi. Along with the photograph, he wrote, “Papa—your dreams, my dreams; your aspirations, my responsibilities. Your memories—today and always—forever in my heart.”
The investigation then examined photographs of Mallikarjun Kharge from his younger days. A photograph posted by Kharge on May 21, 2021, was also found, in which he can be seen with Rajiv Gandhi. A comparison of the two images makes it clear that the man carrying the suitcases in the viral photograph is not Kharge.
Several photographs of Kharge from his younger years published by Zee News Kannada were also examined. These images show clear differences between Kharge and the man seen carrying the suitcases in the viral photograph.
Who Is the Man in the Photograph?
Further investigation identified the man in the viral photograph as Siddharth Reddy. A report published by TV9 Telugu on June 11, 2021, carried two photographs of Siddharth Reddy with Rajiv Gandhi. A comparison of those photographs with the viral image shows strong similarities, indicating that the man in the viral photograph is Siddharth Reddy.
According to the TV9 Telugu report, Siddharth Reddy, founder of Politics Party.com magazine, had passed away. An engineer by profession, Reddy was considered a close associate of Rajiv Gandhi. The report stated that he supported Rajiv Gandhi both during his tenure as Prime Minister and when he was in the Opposition. Following Rajiv Gandhi’s death, Siddharth Reddy joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and also served as a member of the party’s National Executive.
For further verification, Times Headline contacted Pranav Jha, the communication in-charge at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s office. Jha confirmed that the person in the photograph is Siddharth Reddy, who was a friend of Rajiv Gandhi. He also said that Siddharth Reddy was married to Taradevi, who had served as a Member of Parliament from Karnataka.
Conclusion
The Times Headline fact check establishes that the man carrying two suitcases in the old photograph with Rajiv Gandhi is not Mallikarjun Kharge. The person is Siddharth Reddy, who was a close friend and associate of Rajiv Gandhi.
Therefore, the social media claim identifying the man in the photograph as Mallikarjun Kharge is misleading.