New Delhi: A political row erupted on Tuesday after a pregnant journalist accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of manhandling her while she was covering an Opposition demonstration near the Supreme Court. The Congress rejected the charge, describing it as BJP propaganda.
Richa Parashar of Oneindia, who said she is three months pregnant, claimed the incident took place on Monday during the INDIA bloc’s protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. She has since been admitted to a hospital in Delhi.
Parashar said she had been waiting near a gate for Rahul Gandhi to leave the court complex so she could seek a comment from him.
“I was inside the Supreme Court premises, positioned right by a gate, waiting for him to exit so I could get a soundbite, specifically from Rahul Gandhi… I extended the mic; he gestured for me to move it away, so I did. But then I saw other mics being thrust forward, and since it was my job – I was on assignment – I moved my mic back in,” she said.
‘Grabbed My Hand’
According to her account, Gandhi then reacted aggressively after she brought her microphone forward again.
“Before I could fully process what was happening – my cameraperson was behind me – Rahul Gandhi moved forward with a very unpleasant expression. Suddenly, he grabbed my hand – right here – and yanked me forward. He pulled me so hard, and then – it all happened so fast – his bodyguards shoved me away. You know the Supreme Court entrance has a few steps – two or three, I couldn’t count exactly due to the crowd, and I fell face-first onto them,” Parashar alleged.
She further claimed that her cameraperson was pushed and fell over her, and that several others landed on her in the ensuing commotion.
“Rahul Gandhi grabbed me first… and since my cameraperson was recording, he immediately shoved him as well… I fell on my knees and stomach and my cameraperson fell on top of me. My phone is completely shattered now and my mic receiver got completely dislodged,” she said.
Parashar said she was distressed by attempts to dismiss her account. “This is not about Congress or BJP. I am just a common citizen doing my job. Very unfortunate some of the things people are saying,” she told NDTV.
Congress Calls Charge False
The Congress denied that any such episode occurred. Party leader Alka Lamba said on X that the sequence of events described by the journalist was inconsistent and accused the BJP of staging a propaganda campaign.
“Protest during pregnancy carries risk. They say Rahul Gandhi pushed her at 3-4 pm and then they say she went to hospital at 8.30 pm. Her sister reached the BJP MLA’s office to manufacture propaganda. She underwent an X-ray which is usually not done during pregnancy,” Lamba wrote.
Congress leaders also circulated clips from the protest, arguing that the visuals did not establish Gandhi had pushed or pulled the journalist. Parashar, however, insisted that footage recorded in the crowd showed him grabbing her hand.
BJP Attacks Rahul Gandhi
BJP leaders visited the journalist in hospital and used the allegation to attack the Congress. Party spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari accused Congress workers of failing to assist her and instead questioning her account.
“Rahul Gandhi, who speaks of ‘smashing the patriarchy,’ behaved like a goon. The women of this country should see the true face of the Congress party and the reality behind Priyanka Vadra’s slogan of ‘ladki hoon, lad sakti hoon’,” Mr Bhandari told reporters.