Rahul Gandhi, who holds a seat in parliament for the Congress party, is facing a claim from BJP representatives that he made physical contact with a journalist named Richa Parashar — who was reported to be pregnant at the time — during a demonstration centred on contested election conduct. According to available accounts, Parashar was on assignment at an opposition rally in New Delhi when the episode took place.

Hospitalisation followed for her in the aftermath of what investigators described as an attack. Bajaj, a BJP MLA, took note of the incident and put his reservations on record that same evening of 12 October 2026. A visit to check on Parashar's condition brought him to the hospital, with fellow BJP members Pradeep Bhandari and Rajesh Bhatia among those making the trip.

Bajaj reported that around 10:00 PM, word reached him that journalist Richa Parashar had been subjected to mistreatment, and the matter was taken up promptly. Bajaj stated that he, alongside the other leaders, took steps to arrange the medical attention Parashar required.

Bajaj drew criticism of Gandhi's reported conduct on the basis of a gap between Gandhi's publicly stated support for women's rights and the allegation of physical violence against a journalist. Bajaj voiced opposition to the behaviour, arguing that someone who publicly advocates for dismantling patriarchal structures ought not to act in such a manner toward a woman in the press. Separately, BJP leader Rajesh Bhatia said a woman had come to him for help, prompting him to file a report about the incident.

According to the account provided, Rahul Gandhi allegedly shoved her pregnant sister, an act that left the woman needing medical treatment. In drawing attention to the timeline, Bhatia pointed out that the event unfolded at approximately 8:00 PM — a window that placed it just ahead of when the journalist was reported to have sustained injuries.

Details about Parashar's condition were posted by Pradeep Bhandari on the social media platform X. According to his account, the woman — who was three months into her pregnancy — had been left with physical injuries after an attack that reportedly took place while she was reporting from the protest.

No independent verification of the BJP's claims had been completed by the time this report went to publication. No public response to those allegations had come from either the Congress party or Rahul Gandhi at that point.

Concurrent with those accusations directed at Rahul Gandhi, a wider gathering took shape across Delhi, with opposition leaders at the front of a procession bound for the Supreme Court. Protesters gathered around claims of ballot theft — rendered in Hindi as "vote chori" — alongside reported procedural irregularities tied to the Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls.

Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge took part in the demonstration, joined by a number of other senior figures drawn from across the INDIA coalition. Opposition parties put forward a call for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to step down, pairing that demand with a push for broader changes to how elections are conducted.