Delhi Rains: Image of potholed road shared by Amit Malviya is edited

Delhi experienced a significant downpour on December 27, making it the rainiest December in 27 years, with a total of 42.8 mm of rainfall recorded.

As the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections approach, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has intensified its campaign against the incumbent Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). In this context, BJP leader Amit Malviya shared an image of a man riding a bike on a road riddled with waterlogged potholes, claiming it depicts the state of the roads in Delhi after the rainfall.

Malviya shared the image with the caption, “After just a little rain.” The campaign message on the image read: “AAP’s Lies: Streets like London and Paris. Delhi’s Reality: Roads riddled with potholes. We (BJP) won't tolerate this anymore; change is inevitable!” (Translated from Hindi) (Archive)

In a sharp jibe, the official Facebook page of Delhi BJP shared the image with the caption: “The condition of European-standard roads after just a little rain.” (Archive)

Several X users associated with the BJP shared the image, making the same claim. (Click here, here and here to see the posts.)

Fact Check

NewsMeter found the claim false, as the original image does not show waterlogged potholes.

Upon conducting a reverse image search, we found an identical photo of the same man riding the bike, dressed in the same outfit and carrying the same bags on the pillion, captured at the same location. This image was published by stock photo websites Getty Images and Alamy on September 30. While the image did show potholes on the road, it did not depict as many waterlogged potholes as seen in the image shared by Malviya and others.

According to both websites, the image was taken during Chief Minister Atishi's inspection of the Outer Ring Road in Kalkaji, Delhi, accompanied by PWD officials on September 30, 2024. During this inspection, potholes were visible near the NSIC Complex. She directed officials to address the issue and ensure a pothole-free national capital by Diwali.

The comparison of the images confirms that the viral image has been edited.

Alamy published another image of the same spot on September 30, featuring a woman riding a scooter. This image clearly shows the condition of the road, which matches the original image. However, it does not display as many waterlogged potholes as the edited image shared by Malviya. The image location is specified as the Outer Ring Road near the NSIC Complex in Kalkaji, Delhi.

According to a Hindustan Times report dated September 30, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, along with AAP ministers and MLAs, inspected roads across the city to address potholes. Areas like Okhla, Modi Mill Flyover, and Ashram Chowk were identified with poor road conditions. Atishi had instructed officials to focus on repairs, setting a Diwali deadline for a pothole-free capital.

Hence, we conclude that the image shared by Amit Malviya and others associated with the BJP is edited.