Payal Mehta death: Amit Shah, Rahul Gandhi mourn 'irreplaceable loss' to journalism
Synopsis
Senior journalist Payal Mehta, a Parliament fixture known for her political reporting at Network18, has passed away — drawing rare cross-party grief. From Home Minister Amit Shah to opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, tributes poured in for a reporter who began in sports journalism and built her career breaking political news from the parliamentary press gallery.
Key Takeaways
Senior journalist Payal Mehta , a political reporter at Network18 , passed away on 20 September 2026 .
Union Home Minister Amit Shah called her death 'an irreplaceable loss to the field of journalism.' Rahul Gandhi , JP Nadda , Kiren Rijiju , Nitin Nabin , and N.
Chandrababu Naidu also offered condolences.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh recalled first meeting Mehta 18 years ago and described her as 'hardworking and jolly.' Mehta had begun her career as a sports journalist before making her mark in political and parliamentary reporting.
Senior journalist Payal Mehta, who covered Parliament extensively and was known for her political reporting at Network18, passed away on 20 September 2026, triggering an outpouring of grief from across the political spectrum. Leaders cutting across party lines — from Union Home Minister Amit Shah to Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi — described her death as an irreplaceable loss to Indian journalism.
Amit Shah and JP Nadda Pay Tribute
Home Minister Amit Shah said he was 'deeply saddened by the demise of senior journalist Payal Mehta ji.' He remembered her for her 'thorough professionalism, commitment to sharing every detail of information about an issue with her readers and viewers, and a warm personality.'
'The untimely passing of such a talented and hardworking journalist is an irreplaceable loss to the field of journalism,' Shah said, extending his condolences to her family and friends.
Bharatiya Janata Party chief Nitin Nabin also shared his condolences, hailing Mehta's hard work and sharp understanding of national issues. 'Her untimely passing is a great loss to the media fraternity,' he said in a post on X.
Union Minister J.P. Nadda remembered Mehta as a 'talented and passionate journalist, who will be remembered for her dedication to her profession and her kind-hearted nature,' adding his heartfelt condolences for her family and friends.
Opposition Joins in Grief
Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, expressed his sorrow, saying he was 'saddened by the untimely demise of journalist Payal Mehta ji, who covered Parliament.' He extended his 'sincere condolences to her family, friends and colleagues' in a post on X.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh recalled first meeting Mehta 18 years ago and described her as someone who 'kept me on my toes always with her breaking news, especially when Parliament used to be in session.' He remembered her as 'a very hardworking and jolly person who had begun her career as a sports journalist but made a mark by her political reporting in recent years.'
Union Ministers and Regional Leaders Recall Her Dedication
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju expressed shock at the news, noting that he had 'just attended her father's prayer service a few days ago.' He described Mehta as someone who was 'as regular as me in Parliament during sessions' and called her 'a true professional journalist.'
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu recalled that Mehta always went 'the extra mile for a story.' In a post on X, Naidu said she had travelled to Andhra Pradesh on several occasions to report from the ground and would always reach out to share updates when they met in Parliament. 'My heartfelt condolences to her family, friends and colleagues at Network18. Her untimely passing is deeply saddening,' he added.
A Parliament Fixture Remembered
Multiple tributes underlined a consistent theme: Mehta was a permanent fixture in the Parliament press galleries during sessions, recognised by politicians across party lines for her diligence and accessibility. She had begun her career as a sports journalist before transitioning into political reporting, where she built a reputation for breaking news and ground-level coverage.
Her passing marks a significant loss to the gallery of journalists who have made parliamentary coverage their calling — a space where trust between reporters and lawmakers is built over years. The circumstances of her death were not detailed in official statements.
Point of View
And speaks to how journalists who commit years to parliamentary coverage build institutional relationships that transcend party lines. Yet it also underlines how rarely the media fraternity itself commands this kind of national attention; deaths of working reporters often pass quietly. Mehta's case, with named testimonials from Naidu, Ramesh, Rijiju, and Gandhi, suggests she had become a trusted interlocutor in a fiercely competitive and often adversarial beat. That the circumstances of her death remain undetailed in official statements is a gap worth noting.
NationPress
20 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Payal Mehta?
Payal Mehta was a senior journalist at Network18 known for her political and parliamentary reporting in India. She had begun her career as a sports journalist before transitioning to political coverage, where she became a regular presence in the Parliament press gallery during sessions.
Why did Amit Shah and Rahul Gandhi pay tribute to Payal Mehta?
Both leaders expressed grief over Mehta's untimely death, reflecting the cross-party respect she had earned through years of covering Parliament. Amit Shah called her passing 'an irreplaceable loss to the field of journalism,' while Rahul Gandhi extended condolences to her family and colleagues.
What did Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu say about Payal Mehta?
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu recalled that Mehta would always go 'the extra mile for a story,' having visited Andhra Pradesh on multiple occasions for ground-level reporting. He extended his condolences to her family and colleagues at Network18.
How long had Congress leader Jairam Ramesh known Payal Mehta?
Jairam Ramesh said he had first met Payal Mehta 18 years ago. He described her as someone who 'kept me on my toes always with her breaking news, especially when Parliament used to be in session,' calling her 'a very hardworking and jolly person.'
Which organisation did Payal Mehta work for?
Payal Mehta worked for Network18, where she was recognised for her political reporting and parliamentary coverage. Multiple tributes specifically mentioned her colleagues at Network18 as among those mourning her untimely death.
