# BJP alleges Rahul Gandhi event paid influencers Rs 25,000 2026-08-21T16:07:56+00:00 | India | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets The BJP on Thursday accused the Congress of paying social media influencers up to Rs 25,000 to attend Rahul Gandhi's 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' event in Pune on August 22. The party shared a video on X in which a caller named 'Shantanu' offers payment after the event in exchange for promotional content. BJP spokesperson Navnath Ban later claimed the total expenditure could be Rs 9-10 crore, alleging the event is 'Paise Ki Goonj' and demanding an investigation into the funding source. The Congress hit back, with state spokesperson Sachin Sawant saying the BJP is 'rattled' by Gandhi's growing support among Gen Z. He alleged the Maharashtra government imposed restrictions and that ABVP members created hurdles. NCP (SP) leader Mahesh Tapase accused the BJP of 'intellectual bankruptcy' for opposing a programme that raises student issues. The event, exclusively for female students, is scheduled for Saturday in Pune. The video's authenticity has not been independently verified. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The Times of India report leads with the BJP's allegation and the leaked call details, presenting the claim as a straightforward exposé without Congress response in the lead. The Siasat.com report, while covering the same allegation, devotes equal space to the Congress and NCP (SP) rebuttals, framing the BJP as 'rattled' and including opposition allegations of government obstruction. The BJP framing focuses on the paid attendance narrative and demands a funding probe, while the critical framing shifts attention to Gen Z support and alleged harassment of attendees. A careful reader should note that neither source independently verifies the video, and the Congress denial is not a point-by-point rebuttal of the payment claim. Watch for any official response from Congress on the video's authenticity or if a police complaint is filed. ## Coverage Coverage: 2 sources, 1 pro-government, 1 government-critical - timesofindia.indiatimes.com (pro government) Leads with BJP allegation and leaked call details, no Congress response in headline or first paragraphs. - siasat.com (government critical) Gives equal weight to opposition rebuttals, frames BJP as rattled, includes allegations of government obstruction. This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above. Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources. Last updated 2026-08-22T08:12:56+00:00. Tags: BJP, Congress, Election Commission, Pune, Rahul Gandhi Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/bjp-alleges-rahul-gandhi-event-paid-influencers-rs-25000/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/bjp-alleges-rahul-gandhi-event-paid-influencers-rs-25000/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/