Rahul Gandhi Accused of Shoving Pregnant Journalist; Supreme Court to Hear Plea
The Supreme Court will hear a plea by journalist Richa Parashar alleging she was manhandled by Rahul Gandhi and his security.
The Supreme Court of India has scheduled a hearing for October 26 or 27 to address a serious allegation by a journalist who claims she was manhandled by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his security detail. The journalist, who was three months pregnant at the time of the incident, alleges that she was shoved and injured during a protest march leading to the Supreme Court Registry.
The matter was brought before a bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi. The court agreed to list the application after senior advocate Gaurav Bhatia urged the bench to clarify the status of notices in connected cases and requested the listing of the application.
The Allegations of Manhandling
Journalist Richa Parashar claims the incident occurred on October 12, when Rahul Gandhi led an Opposition march to the Supreme Court to challenge the Election Commission’s SIR of electoral rolls. While covering the event, Parashar alleges she was recording the protest when Rahul Gandhi personally intervened.
“It is clearly visible in my video: Rahul Gandhi moves forward, and held my hand—and he pulled it. He pulled it, and I felt his power. He pulled, and in that same second, his guards pushed me,” she stated.
Parashar further alleges that the incident led to her falling on the stairs of the Supreme Court, despite her pleas to the crowd not to push her. She claims that her phone was damaged during the fall, though she maintains that her collar microphone remained active and recorded the audio of the event.
A Medical Emergency in the First Trimester
The most distressing part of the account provided by Parashar is the impact on her health. Being in the first trimester of pregnancy, the fall on her stomach caused her a medical emergency. She claims that despite her distress, no one around her provided assistance.
Parashar describes a moment of shock and abandonment, stating that she was sitting and crying on the ground, unable to process the situation. She alleges that the voice of the protesters, shouting "Rahul Gandhi Zindabad," was used to suppress her cries for help and her accusations that she was pushed.
The Evidence and the Legal Battle
The journalist has provided a video recording of the incident, which she claims proves that Rahul Gandhi pulled her hand and was subsequently pushed by his security personnel. She asserts that her phone fell, but the recording continued as the microphone was attached to her collar.
The legal proceedings will now move forward as the Supreme Court will examine the application and the details of the allegations brought forth by Richa Parashar against the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.