A video from an ABP News programme is being widely shared on social media with the claim that a Pakistani panelist insulted anchor Chitra Tripathi during a live debate. According to the viral claim, the panelist remarked that while Pakistani women paid for their own makeup, Prime Minister Narendra Modi funded the anchor’s makeup.
Sharing the clip, cartoonist Manjul wrote, “Pakistani panelists are crossing all limits. Despite all the provocations from Chitraji, no Indian has ever made such a vulgar comment. Who is responsible for taking TV debates to this level?”
Quoting the same post, Congress leader Alka Lamba said, “What compulsion does Chitra have that she needs to invite Pakistanis to her channel/show for discussions? And then face humiliation from them? Channels should stop inviting Pakistanis.”
Congress leader Dr. Ragini Nayak also shared the viral video, asking what compelled Tripathi to invite Pakistanis to the show and then be humiliated by them? (Archive link)
Similarly, several other social media users also shared the video and amplified the claim.
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Fact Check
To verify the claim, we searched YouTube using keywords from the ticker visible in the viral video. This led us to the original broadcast, uploaded on ABP News’ YouTube channel on May 2, 2025.
The debate, part of the channel’s programme “Mahadangal,” was centred on the Pahalgam terror attack, where victims were reportedly targeted after being asked about their religion. The show featured two Pakistani journalists, Haider Hayat Khan and Muqeem Ahmed Khan, as panelists.
After watching the full video on ABP News’ YouTube channel, it became clear that the viral clip is heavily edited and misleading. The individual seen in the viral video was not part of the original debate. At the start of the viral clip, anchor Chitra Tripathi is heard saying, “Look at your Balochistan, look at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa” -- a line that appears at the 12:33 mark in the original broadcast. In context, she was addressing Pakistani journalist Haider Hayat Khan. However, in the viral video, his visuals have been replaced with footage of another individual, creating a false impression. No derogatory remarks were made during the debate linking the anchor’s makeup expenses to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Makeup did come up during the discussion, but in an entirely different context. Pakistani panelist Muqeem Ahmed Khan, while criticising Indian media coverage, remarked, “If India has so much power and technology, and a strong military, why are you doing shows every morning and evening? Show a music programme, a recipe for making laddus, fingernail tips, or yoga practice. Why all the crying and wailing?” When Tripathi responded that fear was visible on his face, Khan sarcastically said he wasn’t wearing makeup. Tripathi replied that makeup looks good on women and that women in Pakistan wear makeup too, asking him not to comment on it. At no point did the debate include any remark about Narendra Modi bearing the cost of the anchor’s makeup.
Further, the person shown as a guest in the viral video is Atta Mari Baloch. The clip was uploaded on his Facebook page on April 6, 2026. A review of his social media presence shows multiple similar edited videos in which he inserts himself into debates on Indian news channels.
Responding to the viral clip, Chitra Tripathi tweeted a screenshot of Alka Lamba’s post and said, “A Pakistani YouTuber edits my videos to create fake news to increase his views. This person has never been a part of my show. I’m surprised when a woman holding a high position in the Congress party goes after a news anchor.”
Note that both Manjul and Dr. Ragini Nayak acknowledged being told that the video was edited. However, neither of them took down the post.
To sum up, the viral claim is completely false. A short segment of an ABP News debate wad doctored with footage of an unrelated individual inserted to falsely suggest that the anchor was humiliated. In reality, no such remark was made during the debate, and there was no statement linking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Chitra Tripathi’s makeup expenses.
Congress leaders including Alka Lamba and Ragini Nayak, among others, shared the edited clip while falsely claiming that the anchor was insulted by Pakistani panelists invited to the show.
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Hello, my name is Ankit Sahu. I'm a 25 year old self-employed Pirate from the Chhindwara.