Fact Check: Indian journalist didn’t claim political leaders funded PTI

A video shows renowned Indian journalist Ravish Kumar reporting that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the party founded by former prime minister Imran Khan, received funds from Indian politicians during the recently held Bihar elections.

An X user, posted a video of the journalist, captioned, “Senior Indian Journalist Ravish Kumar explains how PTI of Pakistan established links with NDA in Bihar elections, funneling Indian tax payers money right under the nose of Modi Government to PTI leaders to prove that India won Op Sindoor.”

In the video, the journalist can be heard saying in Hindi, “Today’s question is not only from the people of Bihar, but from every citizen of India who considers his vote to be a responsibility. Recently, there were elections in Bihar, but immediately after the elections, a news has come out, which will not be shown on the government channel, but the public definitely wants to know. Central agencies are investigating whether some NDA leaders of Bihar, people like Nitish Kumar, Samrat Chaudhary, Vijay Kumar Sinha and Upendra Kushwaha, funded a political party of Pakistan, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

“PTI, the same party that is still responsible for conducting a digital war against its army in Pakistan. Was the purpose of this funding that there should be a gap in the army of Pakistan and then some leaders of India or some government propaganda should be able to say that Modi ji won the war? Where are these figures coming from? Which offshore accounts have money gone? Which Dubai-based shale company is the name? All this is now with the agencies, but the government is quiet. The government is about to be formed in Bihar, but will the government take an oath with the burden of a political operation? Was the use of the people’s vote being done to influence the politics of another country? This is not just a story.

“This is a mirror of India’s politics. And the reflection in the mirror can break, can be silent. I am just asking a question.”

Fact Check

Fact Check Pakistan determined the claims are false and video is digitally manipulated. The video has a audio dubbing to assert it was said during the news show.

The original video was posted on Ravish Kumar’s official YouTube channel. The dress and screen are similar to the video that proves it has been altered. The video makes no mention of the PTI funding or the investigation by central agencies in India after the Bihar elections.

The news is an attempt to discredit the PTI and its incarcerated leader Imran Khan. The video was also reposted on X by Reham Khan, the former spouse of Imran Khan.

Thus, the claims that Indian journalist Ravish Kumar said that political leaders funded the PTI ahead of the Bihar elections are FALSE.