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A video purportedly showing a young woman kissing Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on the cheek after taking selfies with him at his youth-focused 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' event in Pune has surfaced on social media. The incident reportedly took place on the stage during the event in Maharashtra's Pune. Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was interacting with attendees when the woman appeared to kiss him on the cheek. Gandhi briefly interacted with her before leaving the stage accompanied by his security personnel. The video, shared on X, also showed the venue decorated with concert-style lighting and other arrangements.

Big Breaking 🚨
A Girl is kissing Rahul Gandhi and then he asks her to meet outside. What’s the story behind this?

Is Rahul Gandhi became the new Chicha Nehru? pic.twitter.com/fl3byPpfmK

— Voice of Hindus (@Voiceofhindus) August 23, 2026

Rahul Gandhi's Pune Event Sparks Political Row

Gandhi's 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' event also became the centre of a political exchange between the Congress and BJP. During the programme, Gandhi criticised what he called a "Manusmriti mindset", called on women to challenge patriarchy and criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his comments concerning women who participated in a protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar.

BJP Maharashtra unit vice-president Keshav Upadhye criticised the event, alleging that Gandhi focused on political rhetoric rather than students' concerns. He also claimed that college buses were used to bring attendees to the venue. Congress national secretary Sachin Sawant hit back, saying the BJP was unsettled by what he described as the strong response to Gandhi's interaction with young people. Sawant also criticised the Maharashtra government's approach towards Gen Z and referred to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's interaction with young people in Nagpur.