Congress debunks rumoured attack on Rahul Gandhi’s car; Windshield shatters under pressure

A minor incident led to a massive confusion. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s car encountered human pressure, overwhelmingly on the back windshield leading to it’s collapse, as he resumed his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from Katihar in Bihar for Bengal on Wednesday. The broken windshield was immediately construed as an attack on Gandhi’s car, juxtaposed with the prevailing situation of ‘political difference’ between Trinamool Congress and the Congress after TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee declared “no alliance in Bengal”.

The incident happened in Katihar, Bihar but near to the Bihar-Bengal border. While the road was narrow, a huge crowd had turned up for a glimpse of the Congress MP who is on this 6617 km yatra covering 66 days, starting from Manipur till Mumbai. Rahul Gandhi was himself sitting on top of the car along with others seated on the car room, few people trying to guard the car had used a rope around the car which further exerted pressure on the humble windshield. The glass shattered and fell inside the boot space, yet the yatra continued unaffected. “It seems someone may have pelted stone on Rahul Ji’s car”, said Bengal state president and Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Choudhury.

Congress had later clarified and termed the quick spread of the false information as an attempt by people to create confusion within INDIA alliance bloc. “I was myself inside the car and no attack happened”, said Congress leader Kanaiya Kumar.

On a social media post, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate wrote: “False news needs clarification. A huge crowd had come to meet Rahul ji, when a woman suddenly came forward to meet him, the car had to be stopped suddenly. The windshield of the car was broken due to the rope used in the security circle”.

While Mamata Banerjee has been sharp with her words while declining the possibility of alliance understanding in Bengal, Congress leaders including General Secretary Jairam Ramesh have maintained that “Mamata Banerjee is a very important member of the INDIA bloc”. Interestingly during the first leg of the yatra in Bengal, posters reading “Didi is enough” were shown to the Rahul Gandhi’s bus.


The yatra which started on January 14, has entered into its eighteenth day on Wednesday. After this incident of windshield breaking down, the yatra continued, entered into Bengal for it’s second leg via Malda. The yatra and Rahul Gandhi took a break at a Ratua ground in Malda. Hundreds of people had assembled to get a glimpse of him, the yatra resumed around 2.30 pm on Wednesday with Rahul Gandhi on the bus