Rahul Gandhi's Broken Windshield Sparks Controversy: Multiple Versions Emerge

Curiously, the broken remnants of the rear windshield of a black Toyota Innova Hycross on Wednesday led to fragmentary theories on what had caused it, at least four of which persisted until the end of the evening.

The commotion was caused by the fact that, in the afternoon, Rahul Gandhi was sitting next to the driver of the automobile, which had the Chhattisgarh license plate CG10BP2800. Gandhi was returning to Bengal from Bihar as part of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.

The Rashomon effect, so named after Japanese director Akira Kurosawa's 1950 film classic Rashomon, is a phenomenon in which parties describe an event in a different and contradictory way that reflects their self-interested advocacy rather than the objective truth. The four alternative, contradictory versions added to Bengal's generally dramatic political stage.

With a wave, a grin, and a few handshakes, the Wayanad Congress MP left the vehicle and seemed undisturbed as he made his way to Debipur, which is close to Ratua in the Malda district, for lunch. Rahul did not bring it up in his short speech to the people gathering at Phoara More in Malda town later that day.

However, the first of the four versions was provided by Mamata Banerjee's rival and the leader of his party's Bengal state, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who was riding in the back of the vehicle. Chowdhury informed reporters that the automobile was driven 38 kilometers in its damaged state after stones were thrown in Bengali territory, shattering the back windshield.

The Member of Parliament from Behrampore attempted to suggest that the Trinamul Congress was to blame for the smashed windshield by saying, "It is easily understandable who did this and why."

When Rahulji's automobile arrived in Bengal, stones were thrown at it from the rear. I was unable to observe clearly (who did it)... What else can be said if this is the how his security is managed, on top of all the administrative injustices meted out to his Yatra? questioned Chowdhury, who Trinamul has targeted out for destroying the seat-sharing talks in Bengal for the INDIA constituency.

CPM central committee member Sujan Chakraborty, who brought up the killings of Rahul's father Rajiv Gandhi and paternal grandmother Indira Gandhi, fervently supported his narrative. Samik Bhattacharya, the chief spokesperson for the BJP in Bengal, also enthusiastically endorsed it. He brought up the stone-pelting incident that occurred in December 2020 in Diamond Harbour at the party's national president J.P. Nadda's convoy and asserted that the most recent incident exposed the allegedly concerning state of democracy in Bengal, aside from law and order.

The second version appeared soon after. When questioned about the cracked back windshield, CWC member Kanhaiya Kumar and Congress general secretary for communications Jairam Ramesh were holding a press conference in Debipur. Mallikarjun Kharge, the president of the Congress, wrote a letter on the subject, according to Ramesh.

"He wrote that it was, possibly, carried out by some miscreants who wanted to disparage the Bengal government," he added. He then lavished Mamata with praise, highlighting her Congress background and stating how "inspiring" she was.

Within minutes, Supriya Shrinate, the chief of social media and digital platforms for the Congress, appeared on X with a third version, calling it “false news” and claiming that a large, affectionate crowd had gathered in Bihar to welcome Rahul, at which point a rope used in the security cordon accidentally broke the rear windshield.

"False news requires explanation. The automobile had to be halted immediately when a lady unexpectedly approached Rahulji among the large throng that had gathered to see him. The rope employed in the security circle cracked the car's glass," she wrote in Hindi, referring to what her party's Bengal unit sources termed the "unkindest cut."

"This country not only stands with Rahulji, but will also keep him safe as he fights the battle for justice with diligence," Shrinate said.

The chief minister presented the fourth version. She said, at a Behrampore function, that the damage was, in fact, the result of vandalism, not love, and that it had occurred in Katihar, Bihar, 65 miles from Ratua, where JDU leader Nitish Kumar had just re-aligned with the BJP to create an NDA administration.

"I received a message when I was traveling here in a helicopter. that Rahul's vehicle has a broken windshield. I did some research. These items aren't my thing. These are not the things we do. What benefit does such drama have, if any? inquired Mamata.

"I discovered it wasn't in Bengal." That took place in Bihar's Katihar. They carried the shattered glass into Bengal," she said.

"I denounce the occurrence. Any such assault, on anybody, is condemned by me. The Nitish-BJP just came together in Bihar. They may be a little upset," Mamata said.