'Have some shame': Alka Lamba questions journalist's account of Rahul Gandhi incident, alleges BJP propaganda

Congress leader Alka Lamba on Tuesday questioned a journalist's allegations that Rahul Gandhi grabbed her hand and his security personnel pushed her during an INDIA bloc protest march towards the Supreme Court in Delhi, accusing the BJP of attempting to manufacture propaganda over the incident. In a post on X, Lamba questioned the timeline of events described by the journalist, her sister's alleged visit to a BJP MLA's office and the reported X-ray examination after the incident. "Have some shame, blind devotees! It is you BJP supporters who need an X-ray and a post-mortem!" Lamba wrote in Hindi. Listing four points, the Congress leader argued that protesting during pregnancy carried risks and questioned why the journalist, who alleged that the incident took place between 3 pm and 4 pm on Monday, reportedly went to the hospital at 8.30 pm. कुछ तो शर्म करो अंधभक्तों- एक्स-रे और पोस्टमार्टम की ज़रूरत तो भाजपिल्लों तुम को है - 1st: Protest during pregnancy carries risk. 2nd: They say Rahul Gandhi pushed her at 3-4 PM & then say she went to hospital at 8:30 PM. 3rd: Her sister reached BJP MLA's office to manufacture propaganda. 4th: She underwent "X-ray" which is usually not done during pregnancy. -- Alka Lamba 🇮🇳 (@LambaAlka) October 13, 2026 "Her sister went to a BJP MLA's office to manufacture propaganda," Lamba further alleged, without providing details to substantiate the claim. She also questioned the reported X-ray, saying that the procedure was usually not done during pregnancy. The journalist, Richa Parashar of OneIndia, said she was in the first trimester of her pregnancy when the incident occurred on October 12. She alleged that Gandhi grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him while she was covering the opposition march. She claimed that his security personnel subsequently pushed her away, causing her to fall near the steps on the Supreme Court premises. Parashar said she fell on her knees and stomach and that her cameraperson fell on top of her. She also claimed that her phone was shattered and her microphone receiver was dislodged during the incident. "Rahul Gandhi grabbed me first," she said, adding that she had been doing her job when the incident occurred. Parashar said she had extended her microphone towards Gandhi and was attempting to cover the events when he allegedly pulled her hand. The journalist also said she was distressed by the reaction to her allegations and attempts to discredit her account. The Congress has, meanwhile, rejected the allegations, dismissing them as false and describing the controversy as BJP propaganda. Congress leaders and supporters have also circulated videos of the commotion during the march, arguing that the available visuals do not clearly establish that Gandhi pushed the journalist. Parashar, however, maintained that a video recorded by her cameraperson showed Gandhi pulling her hand. BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari accused Gandhi of assaulting a pregnant journalist and questioned his position on women's safety. Bhandari also alleged that Congress workers had failed to help Parashar after the incident. The controversy unfolded during an INDIA bloc march to the Supreme Court against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and over opposition allegations of electoral irregularities. The opposition has demanded the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, arguing that the revision exercise could lead to the exclusion of eligible voters. The Election Commission has denied wrongdoing in the revision process.