Now Reading: Woman kisses Rahul Gandhi on cheek at Pune youth event
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Woman kisses Rahul Gandhi on cheek at Pune youth event
A video showing a young woman kissing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on the cheek after taking selfies with him at his 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' event in Pune has gone viral on social…
A video showing a young woman kissing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on the cheek after taking selfies with him at his 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' event in Pune has gone viral on social media. The incident occurred onstage during Gandhi's interaction with students. He briefly responded before leaving with his security team.
The event also sparked a political exchange between the Congress and BJP. Gandhi used the platform to criticise what he called a 'Manusmriti mindset' and PM Modi's comments on women protesters. BJP Maharashtra vice-president Keshav Upadhye accused Gandhi of ignoring students' issues and claimed college buses were used to bring attendees.
Congress national secretary Sachin Sawant countered by accusing the BJP of being unsettled by Gandhi's popular reception among young people, and criticised the Maharashtra government's handling of Gen Z issues.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The kiss-and-politics moment in Pune is the latest flashpoint in Rahul Gandhi's generational outreach, which has become a core Congress strategy since the 2024 election. BJP state unit's charge that college buses were used to ferry attendees echoes earlier allegations of crowd-packing at opposition rallies, a standard political charge in Maharashtra. Both sides know the real stakes are the 48 Lok Sabha and 288 Assembly seats in the state, where the Congress-led INDIA bloc and the BJP-led Mahayuti coalition are locked in a tight race for youth voters. The next test will be the Maharashtra assembly elections, expected in late 2026, where Gen Z turnout and party loyalty will be measured.
Source: news.abplive.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
