New Delhi [India], October 13 (ANI): A journalist, Richa Parashar, has alleged that she was "manhandled" and violently shoved by Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and his security detail during a chaotic exit from the Supreme Court during the protest march on Monday, an incident that resulted in physical injuries and a traumatic medical emergency for the reporter, who is currently in her first trimester of pregnancy.
For Richa Parashar, what began as a routine professional assignment, capturing a political protest, transformed into a desperate struggle.
“I set my microphone, and all of a sudden, in just two seconds, everything happened. 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. It is clearly visible in the videos on the internet… Look at my phone, it's shattered. I was shouting, 'Sir, I am being pushed. Sir, we are leaving. Please don't push.' I was requesting him, 'Please don't push, sir.' And in two seconds, I was pushed. There were stairs at the Supreme Court; I fell on the stairs," she said.
The reporter described a harrowing scene where allegedly her pleas for safety were not only ignored but actively drowned out by the party cadres chants of "Rahul Gandhi Zindabad."
“So, I fell, the phone fell, but since the microphone was on my collar, it was recorded. I got up and was shouting, 'My microphone has fallen,' and his people were telling me, 'Hey, where did you fall?' I said, 'It's recorded on my camera. You cannot suppress a journalist. I was standing in a large crowd and could not breathe. After that, I was saying there that Rahul Gandhi pushed me. Rahul Gandhi pushed me, he was just behind me. And his people were shouting 'Rahul Gandhi Zindabad, Rahul Gandhi Zindabad' to suppress my voice,” she claimed.
“And I was shocked because I felt that as a person, there would be someone there who would ask, 'Are you okay? Take some water, move to the side.' Someone should have said, 'Are you okay?' But no one said anything. I could not process it; I was sitting and crying. I shouted on camera, and then I started sitting and crying because, as a woman in the first trimester of pregnancy, I didn't know what the situation will be. I fell on my stomach,” she added.
The reporter finally made it to the emergency room at Delhi's Gangaram hospital where she was examined for her injuries.
“I didn't even want to tell my organization,” she confessed, describing the vulnerability of her condition. “But when the pain in my stomach became unbearable, I had to tell the nurse. The moment they realized I was pregnant, they stopped the X-ray. I was rushed for an ultrasound,” she recounted.
In the hours since the incident, the reporter alleged that she has faced a wave of online vitriol, with supporters of the Congress leader dismissing her trauma as "staged" or "political propaganda." She expressed a profound sense of betrayal at the accusations, particularly from those who claim to advocate for women's rights.
"They talk about ‘smashing patriarchy,’ but they are saying that 'If she was pregnant, why did she go to the crowd?' I am a journalist, too, right? So, it is my job," she said.
Dismissing claims that her hospital visit was orchestrated by rival political factions, the reporter maintained that her only priority was her health and the safety of her unborn child. She emphasized that her sister had only sought assistance to navigate the high costs of emergency medical care, a move the reporter says is now being weaponized against her.
“I am a journalist and I was doing my job. The whole country is standing with me. And those who don't want to see it, have a blindfold on their eyes. I am speaking for all the female journalists out there who do reporting, face life problems, and manage their homes and families while still working and face this kind of apathy. I am a very powerful lady, and after this, my voice will become even louder. You cannot suppress a journalist,” she said.
Directly attacking the Lok Sabha LoP, she said, “I am not expecting anything from you, but at least show some humanity. Not just with me, but if your team does something wrong with anyone—like the video of Rahul Gandhi pushing the female police officer in an inappropriate way—please stop all this because the prime minister candidate of this country cannot do such things.” (ANI)
"Was pushed, fell on the stairs": Journalist Richa Parashar alleges being manhandled by Rahul Gandhi during protest at SC
