Fact-Check: False Claim Viral That AS Dulat ‘Slapped’ Aaj Tak Reporter on Camera

Aaj Tak clarified that the claim was false and the journalist in question was not associated with the news channel.

A clip featuring former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief Amarjit Singh Dulat and a reporter purportedly from TV news channel Aaj Tak (as the video frame displays its logo) is going viral on social media.

• In the clip, AS Dulat can be seen getting agitated by removing his microphone and yelling when the reporter constantly questioned him about allegedly visiting Pakistan recently.

• Dulat repeatedly refuted the reporter's claim; however, it was a pressing topic in the interview.

(Archives of similar claims can be found here and here.)

Is the claim true?: No, the claim is false.

• The video does not feature an Aaj Tak reporter but, Bharat Raftar TV journalist Jitesh Jethanandani in Jaipur in May.

• Aaj Tak also denied this claim on their website.

What we found: At first, we ran a relevant keyword search to find whether Dulat did behave in such a manner with a journalist.

• It led us to an article by Exchange4Media from 22 May.

• The article noted that during an interview in Jaipur with Bharat Raftaar TV, Dulat lost his composure when questioned about his alleged recent Pakistan visit by journalist Jitesh Jethanandani.

• Jethanandani told the publication that the former RAW chief began abusing him on camera and even came close to getting physically aggressive when pushed for details.

• Team WebQoof, then, looked for Dulat's interview on Bharat Raftaar TV's YouTube channel.

• We found the viral portion in the YouTube video at around 47:58 minutes, where Jethanandani questioned Dulat about his alleged visit to Pakistan and his connections notes regarding recent India-Pakistan tensions.

• Following the repeated confrontation, the former intelligence chief could be seen getting aggressive on camera with the journalist.

Aaj Tak debunks claim: On 23 September, the TV news channel published a fact-check stating that Jethanandani told them he was the director of Bharat Raftaar TV and had conducted Dulat’s interview for his own channel in May in Jaipur.

• He also clarified that he has never been associated with Aaj Tak.

Conclusion: The viral clip has made a false claim that Dulat slapped an Aaj Tak reporter on camera. The interview was conducted by Bharat Raftaar TV in May.

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