BJP accuses Rahul Gandhi of manhandling female journalist; Congress calls it scripted narrative
Synopsis
The BJP has accused Rahul Gandhi of physically shoving a pregnant journalist during the INDIA Bloc's protest march, with a party spokesperson visiting the hospitalised journalist to lend weight to the claim. The Congress has struck back hard, calling it a calculated distraction from the opposition's challenge over Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls — turning a street-level scuffle into a full-blown national political row.
Key Takeaways
BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari alleged on 13 October that Rahul Gandhi shoved and pushed a pregnant female journalist to the ground during the INDIA Bloc march on 12 October in New Delhi .
Bhandari visited the journalist in hospital and said she confirmed the account to him directly.
Congress MP Jebi Mather rejected the allegations, saying Gandhi was protecting party leader Neha Bora and Priyanka Gandhi during the protest.
Congress alleged that Meta was removing videos of women being attacked at protests, claiming government influence over social media platforms.
RJD MLA Bhai Virendra and Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat backed Gandhi, attributing the BJP's allegations to discomfort over the march's large turnout.
The row overshadows the opposition's primary demand regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, was accused by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday, 13 October of allegedly 'manhandling' a pregnant female journalist during the INDIA Bloc's march the previous day in New Delhi. The Congress dismissed the charge, saying the BJP was 'scripting narratives' to deflect from the opposition's core allegations concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
What the BJP Alleged
BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari, who visited the journalist after she was admitted to a hospital, addressed reporters following the meeting. 'She told us how Rahul Gandhi shoved and pushed her to the ground. She was not even asking them questions, just covering the protest,' Bhandari stated.
Bhandari further alleged that no Congress worker assisted the journalist after the incident. 'Rahul Gandhi, who keeps on saying 'smash the patriarchy', himself behaved like a goon. He even shoved his own party workers,' he claimed. Bhandari also linked the episode to what he described as the silence of both Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi regarding a sacked JNU professor from the Congress, who faces accusations of harassing 11 female students.
Congress Rejects the Claims
Congress MP Jebi Mather firmly rejected the allegations, arguing that the BJP's strategy was to target Rahul Gandhi at any cost. 'One of Rahul Gandhi's identity is his respect for women. Yesterday also he was taking care of and protecting a young leader, Neha Bora and Priyanka Gandhi,' she said.
Mather added, 'BJP is cooking up stories and scripting narratives because they do not have anything to counter the main argument put forth by Rahul Gandhi, Congress, the INDIA Bloc and by the people.' She also alleged that videos of women being attacked during protests were being removed from Meta's platforms, claiming that 'social media platforms are being controlled by the government.'
INDIA Bloc Allies Rally Behind Gandhi
Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat attributed the BJP's allegations to alarm over the protest's scale, saying the party 'has been rattled by the massive public turnout yesterday.' Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLA Bhai Virendra also came out in support of Gandhi, asserting: 'Such allegations are being made by supporters of the BJP. Our leaders, whether Tejashwi Yadav or Rahul Gandhi, cannot indulge in such wrong acts.'
Context: The SIR Controversy
The INDIA Bloc's march was itself a protest over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which opposition parties have raised concerns about. This incident adds a sharp political dimension to what was already a charged confrontation between the ruling coalition and the opposition, with both sides now trading accusations over the treatment of women — a politically sensitive framing ahead of upcoming state elections. The journalist's condition or any formal complaint filed had not been officially confirmed in available reports at the time of this article.
Point of View
The optics are damaging regardless of the facts. The Congress response — pointing to Meta removals and mass protest turnout — suggests it knows the clip, if verified, could blunt the SIR campaign's moral authority. What is conspicuously absent is any independent verification: no police complaint has been publicly confirmed, no hospital statement issued. Until those emerge, this is a collision of competing political scripts rather than an established fact — and both sides appear comfortable keeping it that way.
NationPress
13 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the BJP allege against Rahul Gandhi at the INDIA Bloc march?
The BJP alleged that Rahul Gandhi shoved and pushed a pregnant female journalist to the ground while she was covering the INDIA Bloc protest march in New Delhi on 12 October. BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari made the claim after visiting the journalist in hospital.
How did the Congress respond to the manhandling allegations?
Congress MP Jebi Mather denied the allegations outright, saying Gandhi was protecting young party leader Neha Bora and Priyanka Gandhi during the march, and that the BJP was fabricating stories to avoid addressing the opposition's challenge over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
What is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls?
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is an electoral process that the INDIA Bloc has raised concerns about, prompting the opposition march that turned into a flashpoint on 12 October. The Congress and its allies allege irregularities in the process, though the specifics of their objections are still playing out publicly.
Who else from the INDIA Bloc backed Rahul Gandhi?
RJD MLA Bhai Virendra and Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat both defended Gandhi. Bhagat said the BJP had been 'rattled by the massive public turnout' at the march, while Virendra said neither Tejashwi Yadav nor Rahul Gandhi could commit such acts.
Has any formal complaint been filed over the journalist incident?
No formal police complaint or official hospital statement had been publicly confirmed at the time of reporting. The BJP's account is based on spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari's visit to the journalist; the Congress has disputed the characterisation of events entirely.
