Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of 'misusing women' and deploying them as political props 'when nothing else works' for the party — a sharp riposte to BJP's allegation that Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi 'manhandled' a female journalist during the INDIA bloc's march to the Supreme Court on Monday.

Chowdhury's Broadside Against BJP's Tactics

Dismissing the BJP's allegations as scripted drama, Chowdhury questioned the identity of the journalist at the centre of the controversy. 'Where do these allegations come from? Whoever the BJP's scriptwriters are, they should look for another job. Everyone is familiar with the BJP's worn-out tactics. Who exactly is this journalist? Is she really a journalist? Is she even pregnant?' she said.

She added: 'Whenever the BJP intervenes in an issue, even the truth begins to be questioned. So, all this is just drama. Rahul Gandhi has always stood up for women's rights. Now, a woman is being brought forward in this case as well. This is how the BJP operates: misuse women, and when nothing else works, put a woman forward.'

Why the INDIA Bloc Marched to the Supreme Court

Defending the march, Chowdhury described it as a last resort after exhausting every democratic avenue. 'Rahul Gandhi has taken these steps after careful consideration and with a full sense of responsibility. We raised our voice in Parliament. Before that, Rahul Gandhi had also written a letter. We raised questions through the media as well,' she said.

'We went to court as people still have a lot of faith in the judiciary... we tried to raise questions on every democratic platform, and when we didn't receive an answer, we went to the court,' she added. She said it is now the court's responsibility to restore public faith in the Election Commission of India.

Chowdhury Calls on CEC Gyanesh Kumar to Resign

Chowdhury launched a direct attack on Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, saying that if he has 'even one per cent sense of responsibility, he should resign on his own.' She questioned the scale of security deployed in New Delhi in connection with the situation. 'There must be some kind of blackmailing going on because so much money must have been used to deploy this level of security forces. Why is the government compelled to save Gyanesh Kumar? What kind of secrets might get revealed if he resigns?' she asked.

She concluded firmly: 'For us, the country is more important than Gyanesh Kumar... so we will keep fighting for it.'

On Rahul Gandhi as Future Prime Minister

Asked whether she sees Rahul Gandhi becoming Prime Minister, Chowdhury replied simply: 'Why not?' She was careful to add, however, that the decision ultimately rests with the people. 'Whether Rahul Gandhi will become Prime Minister or not is a decision that the people of the country will make,' she said, insisting Gandhi's current activism is driven by concern for citizens, not personal ambition. 'He is not doing this in the hope of becoming the Prime Minister; rather he is fighting for the people,' she said.

Biryani Poster Row and Yogi Adityanath

Chowdhury also responded to posters that reportedly appeared in West Bengal urging people to 'buy biryani only from Hindu shopkeepers', calling whoever put them up narrow-minded. 'The Constitution has given every individual, irrespective of his or her religion, the right to stand under the tricolour,' she asserted.

Responding to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's criticism of the INDIA bloc's march, she said: 'Chief Minister Yogi ji, you are a yogi. Focus on your own thoughts and reflections and take care of your state. There is no need for you to come out and comment on this matter.' The controversy over the journalist allegation and the bloc's legal strategy is expected to sharpen ahead of the next Parliament session.