The opposition’s protest against the Chief Election Commissioner and the Modi government over the SIR of the electoral roll has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Barely a day has passed since Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, his security staff and supporters targeted a pregnant Oneindia journalist. Now, a sting operation has exposed the truth about the so-called “independent journalists” covering the demonstration.
Fact-checker Vishal Maheshwari, through a series of social media posts, revealed how these alleged journalists, who flock to the agitation under the guise of impartial reporting to actually promote the opposition’s agenda, have readily agreed to disseminate propaganda material for the Samajwadi Party in return for a certain amount ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly election.
Maheshwari stated, “These journalists openly give protesters a platform, take their side during confrontations, and even obstruct police action. Their conduct during protests is there for everyone to see. I decided to put some of these self-proclaimed independent journalists to the test. Using a fake email ID, I approached several of them with a proposal to create Instagram videos for the SP ahead of the 2027 UP elections.”
He informed, “They responded with work samples and quoted their prices for producing political content.” Mamata Singh of News Capsule, who has more than 300K followers on Instagram, forwarded her work samples and asked for Rs 40,000 for a single reel in the exchange, which transpired on 8th October via email.
🧵THREAD | Read every single post in this thread carefully. | Independent journalists are being widely praised for their coverage of the ongoing protests in Delhi. But what lies behind this carefully cultivated image of independence? These journalists openly give protesters a platform, take their side during confrontations, and even obstruct police action. Their conduct during protests is there for everyone to see. I decided to put some of these self-proclaimed independent journalists to the test. Using a fake email ID, I approached several of them with a proposal to create Instagram videos for the SP ahead of the 2027 UP elections. What happened next? They responded with work samples and quoted their prices for producing political content. I’m sharing screenshots of the email replies I received from each of them as evidence. Meet journalist Mamta Singh. You may have frequently seen her videos on the media outlet News Capsule. Mamta Singh quoted ₹40,000 for a single reel. 1/
— Vishal Maheshwari (@vishalPosts) October 14, 2026
Priya Singh, also affiliated with News Capsule like her counterparts, has been a consistent voice for the Congress-led I.N.D.I. Alliance campaign, similar to her colleagues. She shared her details and demanded Rs 30,000 to Rs 35,000 for each Instagram reel and Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 for a “bulk package” for Akhilesh Yadav’s party. She then added that further deliverables might be addressed in accordance with stated needs.
Singh even expressed her enthusiasm “to explore” the opportunity and was evidently eager to grab the proposal. She also has more than 250K followers on Instagram.
Meet Priya Singh, who is also associated with News Capsule. The reporting by News Capsule and several journalists associated with the outlet has consistently been critical of just one political side. When I approached Priya Singh with the offer, she did not decline it on journalistic grounds. Instead, she quoted ₹30,000–₹35,000 per Instagram reel for creating political content for the SP. 2/
— Vishal Maheshwari (@vishalPosts) October 14, 2026
Shivani Gautam, who recently attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for allegedly attempting to run a paid campaign through her videos and portrayed herself as a champion of “independent journalism,” swiftly accepted an opportunity to create propaganda content for the SP. She agreed to submit “her rate card and work samples” once the project parameters were clarified. She attempted to promote alarming rhetoric regarding a potential “civil war” and repeated unfounded accusations of alleged electoral fraud.
Notably, Gautam was also seen arguing with police officers as they tried to perform their duties. She also has almost 95K followers on Instagram.
Remember this girl who was repeatedly seen arguing with police officers during the protests in Delhi? Her name is Shivani Gautam. Shivani presents herself as an independent journalist and a voice of impartiality. In one of her videos, she claimed that the BJP IT Cell had approached her with an offer to make paid videos. She exposed the offer publicly, presenting it as an example of political attempts to pay journalists for content. But here’s what happened when Shivani received a similar offer in the name of the SP. Instead of exposing the offer, Shivani expressed interest in the collaboration and even shared her mobile number for further communication. 3/
— Vishal Maheshwari (@vishalPosts) October 14, 2026
Zaish Malik, with 205K followers on Instagram and another familiar face in this agitation, attached links to his “independent ground reporting,” which incorporated Urdu poetry as a sample for disseminating SP propaganda. According to him, his charges are highly tailored to align with campaign requirements. He requested a meeting or phone call to negotiate the financial terms following a comprehensive project brief, insisting on discussing specifics before finalising payment arrangements in the October 11th email.
Meet Zaish Malik. He is actively covering the protests, microphone in hand and press card around his neck, presenting himself as an impartial voice for the common people. But when approached with an offer to create political content for the Political Party, he was also willing to discuss the proposal. So much for the image of independent journalism! 4/
— Vishal Maheshwari (@vishalPosts) October 14, 2026
Prisha Yadav, another part of this “independent journalists” team, who also likes to target on-duty personnel, sought Rs 13,000 for one reel, Rs 50,000 for five reels, and the amount reached Rs 85,000 for ten reels. However, she also wrote that the amount might be subject to change after the final briefing and other requirements are finalised, along with putting links to her “viral videos” in the email.
Harassing security personnel during protests for no apparent reason is increasingly being portrayed as revolutionary journalism. And those engaging in it are being celebrated as fearless, independent voices. Meet Prisha Yadav, another journalist who has been actively covering the protests. When approached with a proposal to create Instagram content for the SP, she was also willing to work with the party. Her quoted rates ranged from ₹13,000 to ₹85,000, depending on the content package. 5/
— Vishal Maheshwari (@vishalPosts) October 14, 2026
Manish Rajput, identified as one of the individuals who labelled Aaj Tak journalists as “Godi media,” quoted a rate of Rs 15,000 per reel while offering a discounted price for bulk orders. He also urged for promotions through his Facebook account and expressed interest in a long-term partnership, which he proposed discussing via WhatsApp. He has 191K followers on Instagram.
Notably, Manish was also photographed alongside Shyam Meera Singh, a vocal Rahul Gandhi supporter and key figure within the opposition ecosystem.
Meet Manish Rajput, one of the people who confronted an Aaj Tak journalist, surrounding him and shouting “Godi Media” at him. But when it comes to creating political content for SP, Manish is willing to take up the assignment. He is ready to make reels for SP starting at ₹15,000 per reel. 6/
— Vishal Maheshwari (@vishalPosts) October 14, 2026
Govind Gurjar, who also characterises other journalists as “Godi media,” asserted his engagement with opposition protests in the capital. Yet rather than declining the propaganda proposition, he proceeded to submit his work sample and phone number in the 12th October email, suggesting communication via WhatsApp or direct call. His Instagram account has 103K followers.
Meet Govind Gurjar, who is covering the Delhi protests, branding other journalists as “Godi Media” and presenting himself as part of the independent media. I emailed him twice with a proposal to create Instagram videos for the Samajwadi Party ahead of the 2027 UP elections. He did not reject the proposal on journalistic grounds. Instead, he said he was busy covering the protests and shared his mobile number along with samples of his work. What moral authority do these people have to call others ‘Godi Media’ while entertaining offers to create political content for a party? 7/
— Vishal Maheshwari (@vishalPosts) October 14, 2026
Vandana Meena, who has been “covering” the current opposition demonstration and receives media passes from the Congress party to attend Rahul Gandhi’s events and then talk about the colour of his shirts as well as fawn over him, also wanted to participate in the SP’s propaganda campaign. The price structure outlined Rs 15,000 per reel, Rs 75,000 for five reels, Rs 140,000 for ten reels, Rs 2,50,000 for twenty reels, and a monthly package of twelve reels at Rs 1,60,000. She has 122K followers on Instagram.
Another name in this investigation is content creator Vandana Meena, who has been making videos during the ongoing Delhi protests. She also receives media passes from the Congress party to attend Rahul Gandhi’s programmes. When approached with a proposal to create Instagram content for the SP, she shared a package priced between ₹15,000 and ₹1.6 lakh, depending on the offering. 8/
— Vishal Maheshwari (@vishalPosts) October 14, 2026
Anil Kumar, who is also known as Milan Sar, boasts 517K Instagram followers and maintains a consistent presence at Rahul Gandhi programs such as “Chhatron Ki Goonj” also demanded Rs 50,000 for Instagram reels, Rs 40,000 for Facebook reels, and Rs 20,000 for each YouTube Short video.
This is journalist Milan Sar, also known as Anil Kumar. He has been visible at the Delhi protests in recent days, while at other times, he is seen attending Rahul Gandhi’s programmes. When approached with a proposal to create Instagram content for the SP, he quoted ₹20,000 to ₹50,000 per reel. By now, you may have an idea of why these people keep showing up at such politically significant events and how much their claims of being independent. 9/
— Vishal Maheshwari (@vishalPosts) October 14, 2026
The person operating the “Khota Sikka” account, a Rahul Gandhi supporter, disclosed his payment structure for various propaganda services. According to him, he will take Rs 25,000 for Instagram reels and Rs 30,000 for Facebook content. He also demanded Rs 50,000 to produce a political song for the Samajwadi Party. He reported maintaining a substantial digital presence, with 108,000 YouTube subscribers, 180,000 Instagram followers and 150,000 Facebook followers.
Another name worth looking at is the person behind the social media accounts operating under the name ‘Khota Sikka’. He creates rap songs on political and social issues. Over the past few months, he has also been seen moving around the Delhi protests with a microphone. He frequently appears at Rahul Gandhi’s ‘chhatron ki goonj’ programme, where he receives a media pass. His quoted charges for creating political content range from ₹25,000 to ₹50,000. 10/
— Vishal Maheshwari (@vishalPosts) October 14, 2026
Neha Sharma, host of “That’s Her Podcast,” who advances the opposition’s agenda by posing as an “independent journalist”, especially during the present agitation, stated an amount of Rs 35,000 per Instagram reel for up to seven monthly uploads, Rs 30,000 per reel for seven to twelve uploads each month, and Rs 25,000 per reel for thirteen to seventeen monthly uploads.
Additionally, Sharma proposed a monthly retainer exceeding Rs 5 lakh for unlimited reels and Rs 50,000 daily for on-ground reporting assignments. She sent links pertaining to her similar “collaboration” schemes and indicated that she charged Rs 30,000 per reel.
Sharma further mentioned that she would require complete compensation for work conducted beyond the NCR region, encompassing travel expenses, meals, and lodging. She has 156K Instagram followers and 203K subscribers on her YouTube channel.
Journalist Neha Sharma is another name in this investigation. She has been actively covering the protests and runs social media accounts under the name ‘That’s Her Podcast’, presenting herself as an independent journalist. When it comes to political promotion, however, her quoted charges go up to ₹50,000 for creating content for a political party. 11/
— Vishal Maheshwari (@vishalPosts) October 14, 2026
Vishal Kadyan, a frequent attendee at Rahul Gandhi events with 195,000 Instagram followers, likewise expressed interest in joining the propaganda initiative and requested to discuss the price and the package on a call.
Vishal Kadyan covers the Delhi protests with a press card and microphone. He is also given media passes for Rahul Gandhi’s events. When approached with an offer to create political videos for the SP ahead of the 2027 UP elections, this self-described independent journalist was willing to discuss the project. How does this square with the image of an impartial, independent voice that he presents to the public?
— Vishal Maheshwari (@vishalPosts) October 14, 2026
Conclusion
The so-called “independent journalist” promoted by the opposition and its ecosystem to advance its agenda and criticise the government and police has been thoroughly discredited by the aforementioned emails. These individuals were assigned to cover the protests as part of a deliberate campaign designed to attack the centre while masquerading as neutral or unbiased voices, contrary to the truth. In fact, they are quite willing to abandon their “independent” status and turn into a propaganda mouthpiece for money. This has also exposed the reality of their coverage of the opposition’s agitation and the credibility of their claims against the BJP.
