A fresh political confrontation has erupted after Oneindia journalist Richa Parashar accused Rahul Gandhi of pulling her hand during an Opposition demonstration against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the SIR exercise.
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi/ October 13: A confrontation during an Opposition protest near the Supreme Court has triggered a fresh political row, with a journalist who says she is three months pregnant accusing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of forcefully pulling her hand, while the Congress has dismissed the allegation as politically motivated propaganda.
Richa Parashar, a journalist with news website Oneindia, was admitted to a Delhi hospital following the incident. Recounting what happened to visitors, including BJP leaders, she said she had been standing near a gate to record a soundbite when Gandhi gestured for her to move her microphone aside. She said she initially complied but extended it again as other journalists did the same.
According to Parashar, Gandhi then approached her, grabbed her hand and pulled it forcefully. She alleged that members of his security detail pushed her away, causing her to fall face-first onto the steps. She further claimed that her cameraman was shoved and fell on top of her amid the commotion, leaving her phone shattered and her microphone receiver dislodged.
3 month pregnant Female journalist Richa Parashar was thrashed by Rahul Gandhi when she was covering her protest!
Female journalist is admitted in the hospital, and she recounts the horrror!
Every person should listen to this horror to know how big a goon Rahul Gandhi is& how hollow is his slogan Smash The Patriachy!
— Pradeep Bhandari(प्रदीप भंडारी)🇮🇳 (@pradip103) October 12, 2026
Parashar said her knees and stomach struck the hard surface and maintained that video footage from the scene showed Gandhi pulling her hand. She also insisted that she had addressed him politely.
Congress leaders disputed her account. Congress leader Alka Lamba questioned the timeline of events and raised concerns over the circumstances surrounding the journalist’s hospital visit. She also questioned reports that an X-ray had been conducted despite Parashar’s claim that she was pregnant. Lamba described the allegations as BJP propaganda.
READ: SC Halts Defamation Trial Against Rahul Gandhi for Calling PM Modi ‘Choro Ke Sardar’
Other Congress leaders and supporters circulated videos of the crowded scene, arguing that the available footage did not clearly establish that Gandhi had pushed or pulled the journalist.
कुछ तो शर्म करो अंधभक्तों-
एक्स-रे और पोस्टमार्टम की ज़रूरत तो भाजपिल्लों तुम को है –1st: Protest during pregnancy carries risk.
2nd: They say Rahul Gandhi pushed her at 3-4 PM & then say she went to hospital at 8:30 PM.
3rd: Her sister reached BJP MLA’s office to manufacture propaganda.
4th: She underwent “X-ray” which is usually not done during pregnancy.
— Alka Lamba 🇮🇳 (@LambaAlka) October 13, 2026
BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari, who visited Parashar in hospital, accused Congress workers of failing to assist her and instead questioning her account. He criticised Gandhi’s conduct in the context of the Congress’s stated commitment to women’s issues.
The incident occurred during an INDIA bloc protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. After the demonstration, Gandhi described the protest as a strong expression of public resistance to intimidation.
The episode has since become another flashpoint in the Congress-BJP confrontation. While Parashar has alleged that Gandhi physically pulled her hand, the Congress has rejected her account. The precise sequence of events and the circumstances of her fall remain contested, with the available video evidence and the competing claims at the centre of the political dispute.
