Politics
Supreme Court lists plea over alleged Rahul Gandhi journalist shove
The disputed march now faces formal judicial scrutiny over conduct and accountability.
The disputed march now faces formal judicial scrutiny over conduct and accountability.
A disputed confrontation during an October 12 opposition march to the Supreme Court has become a formal court matter. Journalist Richa Parashar alleges that Rahul Gandhi grabbed or pulled her while she was covering the protest, that she was three months pregnant, and that she fell or was injured before receiving medical attention. BJP leaders describe the episode as manhandling. Congress says Gandhi was reacting to police handling of party workers. Video shows part of the encounter but does not establish the full sequence, intent, or who caused the fall.
The march opposed the ’s and took place while a petition about political demonstrations on court premises was pending. On October 16, the court said the allegation must be filed formally rather than raised orally, then listed the application before Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi for October 26 or 27, after the . Listing it does not establish liability. The bench may decide how to examine the claims and their relevance to protests at the court.
The application was expected to be heard on October 26 or 27, after the Supreme Court’s . At that stage, the bench may consider procedural questions, including whether to seek responses and how the allegation relates to the on demonstrations at the court. The hearing itself would not automatically determine .
The Supreme Court agreed to before Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi. Reports described the application as concerning the allegation that Gandhi pushed or pulled the journalist during the march. Listing the matter was a procedural decision, not a ruling on the truth of the allegation.
The bench said it could not act on an alone and directed that a be filed. The instruction created a procedural route for the allegation to be placed before the court. It did not begin a finding that Gandhi was liable or that the journalist’s account had been proved.
Gaurav Bhatia raised the journalist’s allegation before the Supreme Court in a concerning demonstrations on court premises. The submission connected the disputed conduct during the October 12 march with the court’s existing concern over political activity at its site. The court did not treat the as an established fact.
Congress rejected the BJP’s characterization of the incident and described the allegations as politically motivated. The party’s account was that Gandhi was responding to police manhandling or trying to defend party workers during the disorder. That explanation conflicted with Parashar’s account, and the available footage did not conclusively resolve responsibility.
BJP leaders publicly alleged that Gandhi grabbed and pushed a pregnant journalist during the march. They said Parashar was injured and required hospital treatment. Those statements presented the incident as an assault, but the allegations were not a judicial finding.
Video of the encounter circulated publicly and showed parts of the interaction near the protest. The available footage did not clearly establish the full sequence, the intent behind the physical contact, or whether Gandhi, security personnel, or the crowd caused the reported fall. The competing interpretations therefore remained unresolved.
Journalist Richa Parashar said Rahul Gandhi grabbed or pulled her while she was covering the protest. She said she was three months pregnant and that security personnel then pushed or dragged her away. Her account described a fall or injury during the commotion, followed by medical attention, but these claims remained allegations.
Opposition leaders marched to the Supreme Court over objections to the Election Commission’s of . The demonstration took place on while a related concerning political protests there remained pending. The march brought journalists and security personnel into a crowded area near the court entrance.