An alleged incident involving a three-month pregnant journalist during an opposition protest in Delhi has triggered a political dispute over media safety and conduct at public demonstrations, but the precise sequence of events remains unconfirmed.
Journalist Richa Parashar has alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi pulled her hand while she was trying to seek his response during an INDIA bloc demonstration in Delhi on October 12. She said the ensuing commotion caused her to fall on stairs and that her camera operator was also pushed. According to the report, she was later admitted to hospital and claimed that her phone was damaged.
Parashar was reportedly present near the Supreme Court complex to seek a reaction from Gandhi when the incident occurred. She alleged that she was extending her microphone when Gandhi held and pulled her hand. The report does not provide an independent account of the incident or establish the exact location and sequence of movement during the confrontation.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta criticised Gandhi and the Congress in a post on X. Referring to Parashar’s account, Gupta described the alleged treatment of the journalist as condemnable and questioned the Congress’s claims concerning women’s dignity. Her response framed the incident as a wider political issue involving the conduct of leaders and supporters when women journalists ask questions during public events.
Congress leaders have rejected the allegations and described them as political propaganda. The party has said that videos available from the incident do not clearly establish that Gandhi pushed or pulled the journalist. That denial means the central claim remains contested, and the available material cited in the report is not sufficient to independently determine whether the alleged act occurred as described.
The episode highlights a recurring operational problem at politically charged demonstrations: the difficulty of maintaining a safe working space for journalists while leaders, supporters, security personnel and camera crews move through crowded areas. The account supplied in the report does not identify any police complaint, formal inquiry, security assessment or official medical finding connected specifically to the alleged incident.
Gupta also referred in her post to separate allegations involving Congress MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam and 11 Jawaharlal Nehru University students. The report says an internal university inquiry led to his removal as a professor and that Delhi Police registered a first information report, while the police investigation remains ongoing. These allegations are separate from the journalist’s account and do not independently establish what happened during the Delhi protest.
The immediate issue is therefore unresolved. Parashar’s allegations, the chief minister’s criticism and the Congress denial have all been reported, but independent confirmation of the alleged physical interaction, the circumstances of the fall and the medical consequences remains necessary before the incident can be treated as established fact.
