India Today Journalist Allegedly Assaulted for Questioning Rahul Gandhi's Stance on Bangladesh Hindu Killings

An India Today journalist has reported being assaulted and having his interview forcibly deleted by members of Indian Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi's team during a visit to Dallas, Texas.

Rohit Sharma, the journalist in question, had flown to Dallas on September 7 to cover Rahul Gandhi's visit to the United States. Gandhi, who has recently ascended to the role of Leader of the Opposition following his party's unexpectedly strong performance in recent general elections, was scheduled to engage with the Indian diaspora, students, press, and leaders on Capitol Hill.

Sharma's ordeal began when he arrived at the Ritz Carlton in Irving, Texas, around 7:30 PM for a pre-arranged interview with Sam Pitroda, Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress (IOC). The interview, which took place in Pitroda's villa amidst a gathering of about 30 IOC members, initially proceeded smoothly.

However, the situation took a dramatic turn when Sharma posed his final question: "Will Rahul Gandhi raise the issue of Hindus being killed in Bangladesh during his meetings with US lawmakers?" Before Pitroda could fully respond, chaos erupted in the room.

According to Sharma's account, one person shouted that the question was "controversial," and others quickly joined in. A member of Gandhi's advance team reportedly seized Sharma's phone, shouting "Band karo! Band karo!" (Stop it! Stop the interview!).

In the ensuing commotion, Pitroda was whisked away to the airport to meet Rahul Gandhi, leaving Sharma alone with approximately 15 men who demanded he delete the last question from the interview. Despite Sharma's insistence that the question was not controversial and that their actions were unethical, the group allegedly took his phone and attempted to delete the interview.

Sharma reports being held against his will for 30 minutes, flanked by two men to prevent him from leaving. In a particularly egregious violation of privacy, one individual allegedly brought Sharma's phone close to his face without consent, using his Face ID to unlock the device and delete the interview from his recently deleted folder.

The journalist claims that the group even checked his iCloud account to ensure no trace of the interview remained. After what Sharma describes as "30 agonizing minutes," he was finally allowed to leave with his phone.

India Today, while carrying Sharma's account of the event has chosen to append a disclaimer stating the views of Sharma's article were his own (and presumably not India Today's)

As the story continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how Rahul Gandhi and the Indian National Congress will respond to these allegations.