Who is Dhruv Rathee and why has he been in the news recently?

In the midst of India's election fervour, one name has been making waves across social media platforms: Dhruv Rathee. A YouTuber and social media activist, Rathee has garnered attention for his commentary on political and social issues.

With over 21.56 million subscribers (combined) and over 4 billion (combined) views, Rathee's influence extends far beyond the digital realm.

His recent videos, including ones questioning the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, have captured the attention of millions. He has emerged as a strong anti-establishment voice during the current elections. Rathee's journey to prominence began long before the current election cycle.

Born in Haryana and educated in Germany, he initially gained traction on YouTube for his travel vlogs. However, as his platform grew, Rathee shifted his focus towards addressing pressing issues about India, current affairs, and societal issues, earning praise for his fact-checking and explanatory content.

Rathee’s recent videos are being shared widely across India. His video “Is India becoming a Dictatorship?” has garnered over 24 million views, while his video titled "Arvind Kejriwal Jailed! | DICTATORSHIP Confirmed?" has gathered over 31 million views. His other video topics including "Reality of Unemployment Crisis", "The WhatsApp Mafia and the Electoral Bonds Scam", "Reality of "Mera Abdul" | The Hindu-Muslim Brainwash Agenda", and "Ladakh is Dying" have all amassed millions of views.

Banker Mintu Kalita, student Arshik Deka of Nagaon, editor-activist Paresh Malakar, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) general secretary Pradyut Bhuyan in Guwahati, lawyer Bismoi Das of Barpeta, and political activist Ashraful Islam of Dhubri confirmed in separate interactions with India's The Telegraph newspaper that Rathee’s videos are being widely circulated in the state, especially by the youth.

Rathee was born into a Hindu Jat family and received his primary education in Haryana before pursuing higher education in Germany. Rathee earned his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, followed by a master's degree in renewable energy from the same institution.

Rathee, other than accusing the government of acting like dictators, has also pointed out the silencing of critics, use of federal investigation agencies against opposition, and suppression of farmer protests.

"People have lost faith in traditional media," Rathee told Reuters from Germany. "They are turning to independent journalists on social media for real issues."

In his video, the 29-year-old says, "The media has been bought. Every institution is compromised, opposition leaders arrested. Who is left? Only we, the people. We are the last hope. Protecting Indian democracy is our duty."

Rathee, in the past, has covered various topics in his videos, such as the 2022 Muhammad remarks controversy, 2022 Morbi bridge collapse, 2019 Pulwama attack, 2023 Indian wrestlers' protest, and 2023 Manipur violence. He also introduced Pee News, a satirical "fake news" segment.

In July 2020, Rathee started another YouTube channel called Dhruv Rathee Vlogs, where he shares international travel vlogs. He hosts various shows like DW Travel of Deutsche Welle and Decode with Dhruv of Netflix India.

Due to his recent videos, Rathee has been targeted by some people, especially on social media, with accusations and attempts to discredit his work. Responding to fake news, Rathee has denied false reports about his wife's family being from Pakistan. Some WhatsApp messages in circulation claimed that Dhruv Rathee is not his real name and he is also from the neighbouring country, reported the Deccan Chronicle newspaper.

The YouTuber clarified and said, "They have no answer to the videos I made so they're spreading these fake claims. And how desperate do you have to be to drag my wife's family into this? You can also see the disgusting moral standard of these IT Cell employees."

Rathee, who was one of TIME’s 2023 Next Generation Leaders, in an email interview with India's Frontline magazine, said that questioning the government is the “only way to ensure we keep improving as a country”.

Since February 2022, Rathee has run a shorts channel for 30-second fact videos, offering a quick way for viewers to engage with information. In September 2022, his video on the political crisis in Pakistan was blocked by India's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting due to a distorted map of India.

On April 18, 2024, Rathee announced five new YouTube channels focusing on publishing dubbed videos in five Indian regional languages: Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Marathi, and Kannada.

Rathee resides in Germany, and in November 2021, he married his long-time girlfriend Juli Lbr in Vienna, Austria.

At a time when most analysts are predicting a comfortable win for Modi in India elections, and the opposition looks in disarray, Rathee's videos have become a voice for those who are not happy with the government and want a change.