On 13 May 2024, an opposition ‘INDIA’ bloc march wound through New Delhi demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Amid the crowd, a three‑month‑pregnant journalist named Richa Parashar said she approached Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi to get a soundbite on a petition. According to her account, Gandhi grabbed her left hand and threw her to the ground, while his bodyguards shoved her aggressively. She fell, hit her face and chest on metal, and was taken to a Delhi hospital for treatment.
The same day, Richa Parashar publicly accused Congress MP Rahul Gandhi of behaving aggressively and pushing her outside the Supreme Court premises in New Delhi. She said the incident occurred when she tried to obtain a comment from him regarding a petition. BJP leaders Rajesh Bhatia, Umang Bajaj and Pradeep Bhandari visited her in the hospital, condemned the act and accused Gandhi of hypocrisy on women’s safety. They announced they would approach the National Commission for Women and file a police complaint.
Around 8.30 p.m. on the night of the incident, the journalist’s sister arrived at Rajesh Bhatia’s office in Rajinder Nagar seeking help. She told him that her three‑month‑pregnant sister had been injured after Gandhi pushed her while performing her duties and needed medical attention. Pradeep Bhandari later shared a video on his X account showing Richa Parashar in hospital, saying the footage proved Gandhi had punched a woman journalist, gripped her arm tightly and thrown her to the ground.
” In her own language she described the moment: “While we were doing protest coverage, Rahul Gandhi’s side held the mic.
Congress leader Alka Lamba dismissed the allegations as false, accusing Richa Parashar of fabricating the story. The Congress party as a whole denied that any such incident had ever taken place, labeling the claims politically motivated propaganda cooked up by the BJP. Party officials said the accusations were baseless and part of a smear campaign.
Richa Parashar told reporters, “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.” In her own language she described the moment: “While we were doing protest coverage, Rahul Gandhi’s side held the mic. They grabbed my left hand from the side and threw me down. At the same time, their bodyguards aggressively shoved me, causing my face and chest to hit the metal. Even the cameraman fell on me.”
Pradeep Bhandari, speaking in Kannada, said Gandhi’s “true face has been revealed as he speaks against women’s empowerment and patriarchy.” He also asserted, “Rahul Gandhi pushed a woman journalist with his fist, tightly gripped her arm and threw her to the ground; you all have seen the video.”
Rajesh Bhatia recounted the sister’s plea: “Around 8.30 at night, the journalist’s sister came to my office in Rajinder Nagar seeking help. She said her sister, who is three months pregnant, was injured after Rahul Gandhi pushed her while performing her duties, and she needs medical attention.”
Another Kannada quote from Pradeep Bhandari summed up the BJP view: “A three‑month‑pregnant journalist, while performing her professional duties, was shoved and fell to the ground. The true face of leaders who loudly speak about women’s safety has been revealed.”
Richa Parashar also said in Telugu, “Rahul Gandhi behaved badly. The Congress MP accused the pregnant journalist of making him fall down.”
The competing narratives intensified the political war of words. BJP leaders continued to press for action, citing the alleged assault as evidence of Congress’s disregard for women’s safety. Congress supporters maintained the allegations were invented, pointing to the lack of independent corroboration and accusing the BJP of exploiting the episode for electoral gain. The incident remained a flashpoint in the broader INDIA bloc protests against the Election Commission’s voter list revision, with each side using it to bolster their claims about the other's conduct.
As of now, the journalist remains in medical care, the BJP prepares to move the National Commission for Women and file a police complaint, while the Congress stands by its denial and calls the episode a politically motivated fabrication. The competing claims continue to echo in press conferences, social media posts and street protests, leaving the episode unresolved and the public divided over what actually transpired outside the Supreme Court on that October evening.