In yet another episode of political dram on live television, Congress spokesperson Dr. Shama Mohamed accused the anchor of a private TV channel’s prime-time debate of favoring BJP representative Shehzad Poonawalla. However, her claims failed to gain traction, and the narrative quickly unraveled. Despite this, she maintained her position on social media, continuing to allege bias.
The controversy erupted during a debate segment titled “Election Commission vs. Rahul Gandhi Controversy” The dispute began during the later segment when anchor Arunima paused Dr. Shama Mohamed’s remarks to allow BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla to speak. As he began his statement, Poonawalla said, “First of all, I want to take this opportunity to congratulate my colleague Anupriya for explaining things so well and more power to me.” The “colleague” he referred to was Anupriya Yadav, a spokesperson for the JD(U).
However, Dr. Shama Mohamed appeared to misunderstand the remark, questioning the anchor directly during the debate, “Are you a part of the Bharatiya Janata Party?” This implied she believed the anchor and the BJP spokesperson were aligned.
Adding to the heated exchange, Shehzad Poonawalla responded firmly, “She was preaching to my ally. Look at her behavior on She will not get away speaking to my ally like this, please be very clear, I understand that, but she has to be piped down, and she has to be taught how to behave and she is not going to speak down to Anupriya Yadav”
Following the incident, Dr. Shama Mohamed took to social media platform X, writing, “The anchor from @CNNnews18 called Anupriya was addressed my Shahzad Poonawala as his colleague. That means she belongs to the BJP & acts as an independent anchor. Hence I had to leave the debate midway as I can’t be in a debate where the anchor is part of the bjp. She did not deny it either.”
The anchor from@CNNnews18 called Anupriya was addressed my Shahzad Poonawala as his colleague . That means she belongs to the BJP & acts as an independent anchor. Hence I had to leave the debate midway as I can't be in a debate where the anchor is part of the bjp. She did not…
— Dr. Shama Mohamed (@drshamamohd) August 17, 2025
Shehzad Poonawalla swiftly responded, clarifying the situation, “The CNN News 18 anchor was Arunima “Anupriya” who I referred to as my ally & colleague and praised – was the JDU spokesperson! You need some help! You had once called Rohit Sharma fat. @Jairam_Ramesh pls get her some help!”
The CNN News 18 anchor was Arunima
“Anupriya” who I referred to as my ally & colleague and praised – was the JDU spokesperson!
You need some help ! You had once called Rohit Sharma fat. @Jairam_Ramesh pls get her some help ! https://t.co/AXbSQoRnsp
— Shehzad Jai Hind (Modi Ka Parivar) (@Shehzad_Ind) August 17, 2025
Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed had previously stirred controversy by making remarks about Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma on social media. In a post on X, which has since been deleted, she referred to Rohit as “fat for a captain” and labeled him as one of India’s most “unimpressive” leaders on the field. The comments sparked backlash, prompting the Congress party to intervene and advise her to remove the post and refrain from making such personal statements.
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