YouTube star teachers are explainers, chasing views, not real education: Anjana Om Kashyap.
Anjana Om Kashyap's criticism accidentally triggered a massive backlash and engendered one of 2026's biggest media controversies after calling YouTube educators "do kaudi ke", not worth two pennies and calling them "big fraud" during a live primetime debate on May 29–30, 2026. Anjana Om Kashyap, a senior journalist and managing editor at one of Hindi television's biggest news channels, comments led to exaggeration and rumour-mongering in the media.
It was a poorly timed event for her situation, as the controversy went viral right in the middle of the NEET-UG paper leak scandal, when YouTubers were already blaming the government and media for their security failure and disclosure of information. Anjana unexpectedly flipped the blame and pointed it towards the teachers themselves, accusing them of using blackboards, thumbnails, and drama purely to grab views and make money, with no real knowledge or qualifications to back them up. She publicly declared that educators who run their platform like a business. Her statement drew the attention of various digital educators.
She said that clarified teaching formats were used by many of them, sensational titles and online reach to build a larger audience, and then begin commenting on issues beyond their intellectual sphere. It resulted in the provocation of these educators, who eventually turned their backs on the anchor. Meanwhile, the response of Abhinay Sharma, a mathematics educator, went viral on social media.
"The difference, madam, also exists between real media and sycophantic media like you. The way you orchestrate fierce battles inside the studio for TRP is something the world has seen," says Abhinay Sharma.
Abhinay Sir (Abhinay Maths) simply asked a question, "If YouTube teachers are worthless, who exactly has been preparing millions of students for JEE, NEET, SSC, and UPSC all these years?" Suman Mam (Ocean Gurukul) pointed out that she runs "free" marathon classes for students who can't afford coaching, and asked why a journalist in an air-conditioned studio was calling her a fraud instead of covering the real issues. Khan Sir, with his tens of millions of followers, delivered arguably the most cutting response: "Tu apna gyaan apne paas rakh", meaning "Keep your knowledge to yourself". While the literal translation is straightforward, the phrase is highly sarcastic and dismissive, perfectly capturing that exact cutting, rude, and confrontational energy.
Another popular educator and YouTuber, Faisal Khan, widely known as Khan sir, and several digital creators were taken to court by Anjana and TV Today Network, who filed a civil defamation lawsuit in the Delhi High Court, demanding Rs 2 crore. Anjana Om Kashyap sued Khan Sir primarily because he and other digital educators launched a targeted online campaign that used highly derogatory terms, accused her of spreading fake news, and compromised her family's privacy. She was openly declared Bikau Patrakar" (Sold-out/corrupt journalist), "Fake News Ki Dukaan" (A shop of fake news) by these digital educators.
The suit states, “The Defendants further subjected the Plaintiffs to insults, ridicule, contempt and public hostility through abusive and scandalous language wholly unrelated to any legitimate public debate,” further added, “The Plaintiff's child has been exposed to unwanted attention and security concerns solely because of the Defendants' reckless conduct. The campaign has therefore transcended criticism and has resulted in serious injury to the reputation, dignity, privacy, safety and well-being of the Plaintiffs and their family members.”
The legal dispute happens at the same time Khan Sir faces other legal troubles in Patna. Police filed a case against him for attempted murder and weapons violation after a fight at his coaching centre. However, Khan Sir denies doing anything wrong. The charges were filed after the arrested security guard claimed they fired their weapon under his direct order. The incident has quickly become a major flashpoint in Bihar's highly competitive coaching market. The defamation suit questions his conduct in public discourse, while the Patna case tests his accountability in a violent incident.
During the COVID-19 lockdowns, thousands of students from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Jharkhand found themselves dependent on YouTube teachers for crucial exam preparation and continued learning. When these digital educators faced criticism, millions of students united across and shared their personal stories on platform like Facebook and Instagram of how online learning provided quality, affordable education. The immediate, aggressive response completely overwhelmed the news network's comment sections before they could issue any clarification. This massive wave of social media testimonials proved that digital classrooms had become an irreplaceable lifeline for millions of students.
Anjana Om Kashyap never issued a personal apology, despite the widespread public outrage and intense student pushback. Her news network completely avoided publishing any official clarification. The media outlet chose to remain silent, which only fuelled further resentment among the student and teaching communities.
Saurabh Bharadwaj, the AAP leader from Delhi, reacted to the lawsuit by claiming that the BJP and its backers frequently use defamation cases to quiet their critics. He further pointed out that the hypocrisy of anchors like Anjana Om Kashyap, noting that they use aggressive language against others. He used a famous Hindi proverb, “Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones at others.”
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