US Congressman Ro Khanna slams assault on Indian Today reporter Rohit Sharma by Rahul Gandhi’s team

Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna has expressed strong support for India Today reporter Rohit Sharma who said he was assaulted by members of Rahul Gandhi’s team in Dallas, Texas. The incident took place on the sidelines of Rahul Gandhi’s recent trip to the United States that was being covered by Sharma for India Today.

Ro Khanna, in a statement shared on social media, criticised the actions of Gandhi’s support staff, describing the physical assault and phone confiscation as a serious violation of press freedom. “I stand with @DcWalaDesi and am unequivocal in my support for the 1st Amendment,” Khanna wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

“He is a fair journalist. It’s unethical and a betrayal of free speech for handlers to have snatched his phone, shoved him, and deleted his recordings,” Khanna, who is serving as a Democratic representative from California’s 17th congressional district, added.

Khanna’s remarks came in response to Sharma’s detailed account of the incident, which he shared in a piece for India Today.

The altercation took place ahead of Rahul Gandhi’s arrival at DFW International Airport in Dallas. In the run-up to Gandhi’s visit to Dallas, Sharma arranged an interview with Sam Pitroda, the chairperson of the Indian Overseas Congress (IOC).

During his interview with Pitroda, Sharma asked four questions. However, when he asked about whether Gandhi would raise the issue of Hindus being attacked and killed in Bangladesh in his discussions with US lawmakers, the situation escalated.

A member of Gandhi’s advance team interrupted, shouting, “Band karo! Band karo!” — “Stop it! Stop the interview!” — and forcibly confiscated Sharma’s phone.

Sharma recounted that the question led to a physical altercation during which he had his phone seized and recordings deleted by members of Gandhi’s team.

After Sharma wrote about the distressing episode, Sam Pitroda called the journalist to apologise for the incident and vowed to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.