What began as a routine assignment to cover Rahul Gandhi’s highly anticipated visit to the United States turned into a distressing and chaotic experience after you asked Indian Overseas Congress Chairman Sam Pitroda a question that ignited a storm. Rahul Gandhi, fresh from his party’s unexpectedly strong performance in the general elections, where they won 99 Lok Sabha seats, was now the Leader of the Opposition, and his visit to the US was generating significant interest. His engagements with the Indian diaspora, students, lawmakers, and the media had been eagerly anticipated in both India and abroad. Given the gravity of the visit, you reached out to Sam Pitroda, someone you had interviewed before and with whom you had a cordial working relationship. Confident that he would be open to setting the stage for Gandhi’s trip, you made arrangements for the interview.
The evening began as expected. You arrived at the Ritz Carlton in Irving, Texas, around 7:30 PM, where members of the Indian Overseas Congress and other prominent figures were gathering. Sam Pitroda greeted you warmly, despite the hectic activity surrounding Rahul Gandhi’s impending arrival at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The villa was filled with excitement as about 30 people—many of whom had flown in from India or other parts of the US—buzzed with anticipation. The atmosphere was charged, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary as you sat down with Sam Pitroda to conduct the interview.
The first few questions flowed smoothly, as Sam outlined Rahul Gandhi’s plans, contrasting his visit with that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s, addressing the issues of importance to the Indian diaspora, and building excitement around Gandhi’s arrival. Everything seemed to be going well, with Sam answering in his typically composed and thoughtful manner. However, the dynamic shifted dramatically when you posed your final question: "Will Rahul Gandhi raise the issue of Hindus being killed in Bangladesh during his meetings with US lawmakers?"
Before Sam could fully respond, the mood in the room changed instantly. A loud voice interrupted the conversation, labeling your question as “controversial.” Others quickly chimed in, and within moments, the situation spiraled into chaos. Members of Rahul Gandhi’s advance team acted swiftly, with one person snatching your phone while another repeatedly shouted, “Band karo! Band karo!”—demanding that the interview be stopped immediately.
Sam Pitroda, visibly shaken by the commotion, attempted to calm the room, but the intensity had already reached a breaking point. One person tried to grab your microphone, and despite your efforts to protect your equipment, they managed to stop the recording by forcibly taking your phone. The focus shifted away from the interview, as Rahul Gandhi’s team made it clear they did not want the final question or any part of the interaction related to it to be made public.
What followed was nothing short of a nightmare. As Sam Pitroda was hurried off to the airport to greet Rahul Gandhi, you were left in a room with about 15 men, all demanding that you delete the last segment of the interview. Tensions were high as they insisted that the question was too sensitive to be included, despite your argument that it was a legitimate and non-controversial topic of discussion. Their aggressive behavior escalated, as they rummaged through your phone in a desperate attempt to erase the recording. They managed to delete the video from your phone’s photo library, but when they attempted to access the recently deleted folder, they were stymied by the phone’s Face ID feature, which prevented further deletions.
However, in a deeply unsettling move, one individual took advantage of the situation, stealthily holding the phone close to your face to unlock it without your consent. With your phone now unlocked, they proceeded to delete the recording from the recently deleted folder. Determined to leave no trace of the interview, they even checked your iCloud backup, but fortunately, since the phone had been in airplane mode during the interview, the video had not synced.
The invasion of your privacy, combined with the aggressive efforts to erase any evidence of the interview, left you in a precarious position. The blatant disregard for your rights as a journalist and the unethical behavior exhibited by the team was a stark contrast to the cordial environment that had initially surrounded the event. The entire incident highlighted the extreme sensitivities surrounding Rahul Gandhi’s visit and the heightened level of control that his team sought to exert over his public image.
This experience is a troubling reminder of the challenges journalists can face when dealing with high-profile political figures, especially when public relations are tightly managed. The refusal to engage with what was a valid and timely question about a sensitive issue—such as the violence against Hindus in Bangladesh—underscored the complexities of navigating media coverage in high-stakes political environments. The attempts to silence your voice and erase the interview reflected a broader issue of control, not just over the narrative but over the rights of journalists to ask hard-hitting questions.
What should have been a straightforward interview turned into an ordeal that speaks volumes about the tensions that often surround political figures, particularly when their public image is at stake. The confrontation you faced in Dallas was not just about the interview or the question—it was emblematic of the broader struggle for transparency and accountability in political discourse.
