Much ado about Rahul holding a woman’s hand in a photo
By: Navneet Mundhra
A photograph of Congress president Rahul Gandhi holding a lady’s hand while they are on a stage has gone viral on social media platforms.
Rahul Gandhi at Morena rally
This occurrence, in itself, would hardly be worthy of mention but for the fact that many people on social media are giving this innocuous picture a malicious and slanderous tilt and questioning Rahul Gandhi’s character.
Malicious insinuation
The photograph shows Rahul looking at a lady while firmly holding her hand. Some trolls have raised doubts over his commitment to women’s safety, insinuating that the Congress president was ‘flirting’ with the woman.
Unfounded insinuation
These below-the-belt allegations are entirely unfounded. The picture captures an event from Rahul’s ‘Jan Andolan’ rally, held on October 6, 2018 in Morena, Madhya Pradesh.
Lady with Rahul Gandhi at Morena rally
The lady in the photograph is a member of the ‘Ekta Parishad’, an organisation working for the rights of Dalits and tribals for the last 25 years. The lady, Shraddha Ben, and her colleagues from the organisation had been invited by the Congress to attend the rally and to meet Rahul Gandhi.
Show of collective solidarity (Morena rally)
One look at the video of the rally and it is clear that Rahul held her hand when everyone on the stage was preparing for a group photo to show solidarity.
The next time you come across a carefully cropped photo to the accompaniment of lurid insinuations, please do not share it or comment on it before checking the veracity.
