New Delhi: A three-month pregnant journalist has alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi grabbed her hand and pulled her forcefully during the Opposition’s protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls at the Supreme Court premises on October 12. The Congress has denied the allegations, describing them as politically motivated propaganda by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Richa Parashar, a journalist with news website Oneindia, was admitted to a hospital in the national capital following the incident. She alleged that she fell on the steps near the Supreme Court entrance after Gandhi allegedly pulled her hand and security personnel pushed her away amid the commotion.
The allegations have triggered a political confrontation between the BJP and Congress, with leaders from both parties questioning the opposing side’s version of events. While the BJP has accused Gandhi of assaulting a woman journalist, Congress leaders have argued that the available video footage does not clearly establish the alleged physical interaction.
Journalist recounts alleged incident
Speaking to NDTV from her hospital bed, Parashar said she had been assigned to obtain a soundbite from Gandhi as he emerged from the Supreme Court premises following the Opposition protest.
According to her account, she was standing near an entrance gate and waiting for the Congress leader to come out. She said she initially extended her microphone towards him, but moved it away after he gestured for her to do so.
Parashar alleged that she subsequently noticed other journalists extending their microphones towards Gandhi and moved hers forward again as part of her professional duties.
She claimed that Gandhi then moved towards her and grabbed her hand before pulling her forcefully. She alleged that his security personnel subsequently pushed her away, causing her to fall on the steps near the entrance.
“Before I could fully process what was happening, Rahul Gandhi moved forward with a very unpleasant expression. Suddenly, he grabbed my hand and yanked me forward,” she told NDTV.
The journalist alleged that she fell face-first onto the steps, with her knees and stomach hitting the hard surface. She further claimed that her cameraman, who was standing behind her, was pushed during the commotion and fell on top of her, while several other people were caught up in the resulting chaos.
Parashar said she sustained the impact of the fall and that her phone was shattered and the receiver attached to her microphone became dislodged.
She also maintained that the incident had left her distressed.
“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, expressing unhappiness over comments by Gandhi’s supporters questioning her account.
Her allegations have become a focal point of the political dispute surrounding the Opposition’s protest against the Election Commission of India.
Video footage becomes subject of dispute
The journalist also shared a video of the incident on social media. However, Congress leaders and supporters questioned whether the footage clearly demonstrated the physical interaction she described.
They circulated other videos showing Gandhi surrounded by journalists as he moved through the crowded area. They argued that the available visuals did not conclusively establish that he had grabbed or pushed Parashar.
Parashar, meanwhile, insisted that footage recorded by her cameraman captured the incident and that her voice could be heard in the recording.
She alleged that Gandhi first grabbed her hand and then pushed her cameraman when he continued recording. According to her account, the resulting commotion caused both of them to fall.
The competing interpretations of the footage have added another dimension to the controversy, with the BJP citing the journalist’s allegations and the Congress questioning the evidence presented publicly.
The available account does not independently establish the precise sequence of physical interactions. The allegations and the political responses therefore remain disputed.
Congress leader Alka Lamba challenges allegations
Congress leader Alka Lamba rejected the allegations in a post on X on October 13, questioning the timeline of the reported incident and the circumstances surrounding the journalist’s hospital visit.
Lamba claimed that there were inconsistencies in the accounts being circulated and accused the BJP of attempting to turn the incident into a political controversy.
She referred to the reported interval between the alleged incident in the afternoon and the journalist’s hospital visit later in the evening. She also questioned the circumstances in which Parashar’s sister reportedly approached a BJP legislator’s office.
Lamba further raised concerns about the reported X-ray examination, arguing that such an investigation would ordinarily be approached cautiously during pregnancy.
Her remarks were part of the Congress party’s broader rejection of the allegations against Gandhi. However, the claims concerning the timing of the hospital visit, the medical examination and the involvement of the journalist’s family have not been independently established in the available account.
The dispute has also led Congress supporters to circulate footage of the crowded protest, arguing that the visuals do not substantiate the accusations.
The journalist, on the other hand, has maintained that she was carrying out her professional assignment when the alleged incident occurred and has rejected suggestions that her account was fabricated for political purposes.
BJP accuses Congress of targeting journalist
BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari strongly criticised Gandhi over the allegations, accusing the Congress leader of behaving aggressively towards a woman journalist.
Bhandari claimed that the journalist had been injured and hospitalised after the incident. He also alleged that Congress workers failed to assist her and instead questioned her credibility.
The BJP spokesperson contrasted the allegations with Gandhi’s public statements on women’s rights and his call to “smash the patriarchy”.
He also criticised Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s political slogan, “ladki hoon, lad sakti hoon”, arguing that the reported incident contradicted the Congress leadership’s public messaging on women’s empowerment.
Bhandari and other BJP leaders visited Parashar at the hospital and spoke to reporters about the allegations.
The BJP has used the episode to intensify its criticism of Gandhi, arguing that the conduct described by the journalist raises questions about the Congress leader’s treatment of women and media professionals.
The Congress has rejected the accusations, calling them propaganda. Neither the BJP’s allegations nor the Congress’s counterclaims, however, independently settle the question of what occurred during the crowded interaction.
INDIA bloc protest against Election Commission
The controversy emerged during a major INDIA bloc demonstration against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the SIR exercise.
Opposition leaders and supporters gathered in the national capital on October 12, demanding accountability over alleged irregularities in electoral rolls and calling for the CEC’s resignation.
The protest formed part of the Opposition’s wider campaign against what it describes as “vote chori”, or vote theft. Opposition parties have raised concerns about the electoral revision process and demanded greater transparency in the preparation of voter lists.
The demonstration was conducted amid tight security in central Delhi. Gandhi subsequently thanked those who participated, describing the gathering as a powerful demonstration that the people of India would not be intimidated.
The Opposition has also been seeking to broaden its campaign beyond demands directed at the Chief Election Commissioner, presenting it as a wider movement for democratic accountability.
The protest has attracted considerable political attention, with the BJP and Congress exchanging accusations over electoral issues and the conduct of political leaders.
Political row continues
The allegations made by Parashar have added a fresh flashpoint to the already tense political atmosphere surrounding the SIR controversy.
The BJP has accused Gandhi of manhandling a journalist who was carrying out her professional duties, while the Congress has denied that the alleged incident occurred as described and questioned the interpretation of the available footage.
Parashar has maintained that she was assaulted during the crowded interaction and has expressed distress over online criticism of her account.
The controversy highlights the difficulties of establishing what happened during chaotic political demonstrations, particularly when video footage is being interpreted differently by opposing parties.
A clear assessment of the incident would require a careful examination of the available recordings, witness accounts and relevant medical information rather than relying solely on partisan claims.
For now, the allegations remain disputed, with the incident intensifying the political confrontation between the BJP and Congress over the Opposition’s protest against the Election Commission.