BJP accuses Rahul Gandhi of pushing pregnant journalist during Delhi protest

The Bharatiya Janata Party has accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of physically assaulting a three-month-pregnant journalist covering a protest march, leading to her hospitalisation.

According to the ruling party, the reporter, Richa Parashar, was shoved and thrown to the ground while reporting on the demonstration. The Congress party has rejected the allegations, describing them as outright lies.

What the BJP alleged

BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari released a video showing the journalist detailing the encounter from a hospital bed. Bhandari said the reporter was merely documenting the demonstration and had not even posed questions when the altercation occurred.

"Rahul Gandhi himself grabbed her by the shoulder, yanked her, and threw her to the ground," Bhandari said during a media briefing, accusing the opposition leader of using his elbow to push her aside. He added that no Congress party workers stepped forward to assist her after the fall.

Rajesh Bhatia, vice-president of the BJP's Delhi unit, said he visited the hospital to offer assistance after receiving an alert about the incident from the reporter's sister.

Scrutiny over opposition conduct

The ruling party framed the incident as part of a wider pattern of hostile behaviour by senior Congress leadership towards media personnel and working women. Bhandari contrasted the alleged assault with previous campaign slogans promoted by the opposition, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's "Ladki Hoon, Lad Sakti Hoon" initiative and Rahul Gandhi's public statements against patriarchy.

"The women of this country should see the true face of the Congress party and the reality behind their slogans," Bhandari said, also criticising the party's failure to address past harassment complaints involving its own members.

While the Congress party firmly denied that any assault occurred, dismissing the claims as politically motivated fabrication, the ruling party maintained that the treatment of frontline journalists during public agitations reflects poorly on democratic norms. The BJP leadership expressed support for Parashar's swift medical recovery and return to reporting.