The footage, which began circulating prominently on Monday, shows Gandhi posing for photographs with participants at the “Chhatron Ki Goonj” programme before a woman standing beside him leans towards him and kisses his cheek. Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, appears briefly surprised and then exchanges a few words with her before the interaction ends.
The clip runs for less than a minute and appears to have been recorded on the stage at the event venue. Multiple accounts have reposted versions of the footage, generating extensive online discussion. The woman’s identity had not been independently established by Monday morning, and there was no indication that the brief interaction had been planned.
The episode occurred during the August 22 gathering at the AISSMS College Ground in Pune, where Gandhi addressed a women-focused edition of his “Chhatron Ki Goonj” campaign. The programme was designed as an interaction with young women and students rather than a conventional political rally, with participants raising questions concerning education, employment, personal freedom and safety.
Gandhi used the event to make women’s autonomy a central theme of his address. He described the country’s roughly 70 crore women as its greatest asset, arguing that their individual ambitions, experiences and imagination constituted an enormous social and economic resource.
He also challenged traditional definitions of women primarily through relationships with men, saying their identities should not be confined to being daughters, wives or mothers. Gandhi invoked passages associated with the Manusmriti while criticising ideas that place women under the authority of fathers, husbands or sons.
His remarks repeatedly emphasised personal independence. Gandhi told participants that women belonged to themselves and urged them to resist social restrictions that prevented them from pursuing their own ambitions. He also called for patriarchal barriers to be dismantled and encouraged young women to demand greater space in education, employment and public life.
The Pune programme was the fourth instalment of Gandhi’s student outreach initiative and differed from earlier gatherings because organisers concentrated participation on women. Large numbers of students and young professionals attended, while several participants spoke publicly about examination problems, educational costs, employment prospects and restrictions placed on women.
The event was preceded by political friction in Pune. Activists associated with the National Students’ Union of India and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad became involved in a confrontation near the COEP Technological University hostel after a dispute involving a student’s remarks about college fees.
Police had granted permission for Gandhi’s programme subject to about 30 conditions covering security, banners, public order and material that could inflame religious tensions. Security arrangements were tightened around the venue during his visit.
The gathering also triggered a broader political dispute between the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party. BJP leaders questioned the manner in which participants had been mobilised and alleged that attendance had been artificially boosted. Congress rejected the accusation and said students had joined voluntarily to discuss issues affecting young people.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis subsequently criticised Gandhi’s women-focused outreach and questioned Congress’s record on women’s representation. Congress leaders countered that the programme demonstrated growing interest among younger voters in questions surrounding gender equality, education and employment.
Social-media material surrounding the Pune event has meanwhile required scrutiny. A separate video purporting to show an enormous crowd at “Chhatron Ki Goonj” was found to depict a football gathering in Mexico rather than Gandhi’s programme. Authentic footage from Pune nevertheless showed a heavily attended gathering under a large covered venue.
