Last evening, Congress’ Prime Ministerial candidate Rahul Gandhi hosted women journalists where he ‘candidly’ interacted with women journalists, and even revealed how he is open to making way for TMC’s Mamata Banerjee or BSP’s Mayawati as Prime Minister if the situation arises in 2019.
Congress President @RahulGandhi met and interacted with women journalists earlier this evening and what a wonderful interaction it was! pic.twitter.com/FskLSXhciF
— Congress (@INCIndia) July 24, 2018
While in one of the pictures, one could spot Mrinal Pande, Group Editor of Congress’ mouthpiece National Herald, Pande said the meeting held by Gandhi was ‘off the record’.
This reare, informal and freewheeling discussion took place on condition that it wd be treated as off the record.
— Mrinal Pande (@MrinalPande1) July 25, 2018
Women journalists, however, were seen fawning over the very ‘articulate’ Congress President.
Had the chance to hear & question RG at an unscripted event with women journalists. Confident & spontaneous, he didn’t shy away from answering any questions- feminism, Kashmir, 2019 alliances to why he would make a good PM. Wish the BJP would org smthg similar! https://t.co/jRamwiaOXA
— Niha Masih (@NihaMasih) July 25, 2018
Niha works with NDTV as per her Twitter profile.
Frank, lively and funny…@RahulGandhi was in his elements as he interacted with women journalists. https://t.co/9HLlazuwgf
— Soni Mishra (@SoniMishra20) July 25, 2018
Soni is special correspondent with The Week.
Met and heard @RahulGandhi . Thanks to @rssurjewala. Very interesting. Engaging. Rahul didn’t duck any question of around 100 women journalists.
— Sheela Bhatt (@sheela2010) July 24, 2018
Sheela Bhatt is the Editor, NewsX, and also treasurer of the Editors Guild of India.
Interestingly any recording device like a phone, camera, was prohibited in the meeting.
So the liberated interaction with Congress President @RahulGandhi was with selective 100 female journalists minus pens, phones & cameras! Wonder why the fear? Why shouldn’t journalists be allowed with their basic tools? #JustAsking
— Payal Mehta (@payalmehta100) July 24, 2018
Soon enough, Congress sympathisers were seen defending the Crown Prince.
I’m not….was just trying to understand the logic…..as a journalist I will ask questions of everyone….whoever it be and whatever it be….
— Payal Mehta (@payalmehta100) July 25, 2018
Curiously, a lot of celebrity journalists, especially the ones which are Congress-leaning, were missing. Neither were they visible in the picture nor they mentioned the meet with Congress President. Some even wondered where Congress found 100 journalists, let alone women journalists to attend the meet.
Are there even 100 journos in Delhi, forget women! https://t.co/5HqY9JlnPi
— Rohini Singh (@rohini_sgh) July 24, 2018
But apparently, there were a lot of journalists from the Economic Times.
Lots of ET faces! https://t.co/u0YwsuuANZ
— Aman Sharma (@AmanKayamHai_ET) July 24, 2018
This makes one wonder what could be the criteria for being invited to this meet.
CNN-News18’s pro-Congress journalist Pallavi Ghosh, answered our question.
No one stopped the pens at all .. we used ours … and it was chosen on basis of beat reporting .. some who requested to be invited and some who qualify for gender reporting ..
— pallavi ghosh (@_pallavighosh) July 25, 2018
She explained the list of journalists who would be invited was curated on basis of ‘beat reporting’ and some who requested to be invited. She even said some were invited to meet Rahul Gandhi because they report on gender. She even cited ‘sources’ and said more hugs are on the way.
Sources say more hugs are on way …
— pallavi ghosh (@_pallavighosh) July 24, 2018
She then even explained how none of them took selfies.
None of us took selfies
— pallavi ghosh (@_pallavighosh) July 25, 2018
But then, if you’re not allowed to take your phone or camera or recording device, one wonders how could anyone have taken a selfie. She then fawned some more over Congress President.
Its always good for democracy when netas open up .. get candid .. accept mistakes … and don’t bear grudges .. laught at themselves .. and take all questions .. @RahulGandhi was all of that yesterday ..
— pallavi ghosh (@_pallavighosh) July 25, 2018
But considering there is no such evidence except for the word of those 100 elites who were present there, one would never know.
