Brazilian Photographer Deletes Instagram Account After Rahul Gandhi Uses His Image to Allege Voter Fraud

A Brazilian photographer has found himself caught in the middle of an Indian political storm after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi used one of his old photos to allege voter fraud in Haryana. The image, featuring Brazilian woman Larissa Nery in a blue denim jacket, was displayed by Gandhi during a press conference, where he claimed it appeared 22 times in the voter list under different names.

The Photo Behind the Controversy

The photograph was taken by Matheus Ferrero, a professional photographer based in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, back in 2017. The portrait, shot as part of his creative work, was uploaded with Nery's consent to free stock-image platforms like Unsplash and Pexels. Since then, the image has been downloaded over 400,000 times and used worldwide.

However, after Gandhi's press conference went viral, Ferrero's name started trending on Indian social media, dragging him into an unfamiliar and chaotic political controversy.

"They Hacked All My Accounts," Says Ferrero

Speaking to Brazilian outlet Aos Fatos, Ferrero revealed that the online attention took a dark turn. Trolls began flooding his social media with abusive comments, and soon after, his accounts were hacked.

"They literally hacked all my accounts," he said. "I had no choice but to delete my Instagram. I've never been involved in Indian politics."

Ferrero clarified that the photograph was free for anyone to use and expressed disbelief at how a simple stock photo had spiralled into a political controversy 14,000 kilometres away from home.

Larissa Nery Responds

The woman in the photo, Larissa Nery, also shared her reaction online, calling the situation "crazy." In a short video that has now gone viral, she explained that she posed for the image years ago as a favour to her friend and had no idea it would later be used in a political context.

"Guys, they're using an old photo of mine!" she said, laughing in disbelief.
"I can't believe I'm being shown as someone from India."

Political Fallout in India

The Election Commission of India dismissed Gandhi's voter fraud claims, reiterating that duplicate or invalid names are regularly removed from electoral rolls. Officials also questioned why Congress polling agents had not raised any formal complaints during elections.

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju criticised Gandhi, accusing him of "peddling fake issues" and diverting attention while polling was ongoing elsewhere.

Despite criticism, Gandhi maintains that he has "100 per cent proof" of voter list manipulation in Haryana's 2024 elections.