Congress’s Sam Pitroda calls India Today reporter to apologise for assault in US

Sam Pitroda, the chief of the Indian Overseas Congress, has extended a personal apology to India Today journalist Rohit Sharma, who was assaulted by Rahul Gandhi’s team in the US recently.
Rohit Sharma said that Pitroda called him to express his deep disappointment over the incident and vowed to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter. Pitroda also stressed his commitment to press freedom, emphasising that such attacks on journalists were unacceptable, Sharma said.

Rohit Sharma, India Today’s correspondent in the US, was assaulted by Congress workers in Dallas when he was interviewing Sam Pitroda ahead of Rahul Gandhi’s US visit.
Sharma said the Congress workers, who were members of Rahul Gandhi’s team, charged at him after he asked Pitroda whether the Congress MP would raise the issue of attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh during his discussions with American lawmakers.
“My final question changed everything: ‘Will Rahul Gandhi raise the issue of Hindus being killed in Bangladesh during his meetings with US lawmakers?’ Before Sam could fully answer – beginning with, ‘It’s up to Rahul and the lawmakers to decide what’s relevant, I can’t speak on their behalf but…’ – chaos erupted. One person in the room yelled that the question was ‘controversial’, and others joined in, escalating their tone. Then, a member of Rahul’s advance team seized my phone and began shouting,” Rohit Sharma said while narrating the ordeal.
Rohit Sharma also said his mobile phone was snatched, and he was asked to delete the interview. He was even confined in a room by around 15 men while Pitroda left for airport to meet Rahul Gandhi.
Speaking after Sam Pitroda apologised to him for the incident, Rohit Sharma said the Indian Overseas Congress chief was also shocked by the incident and promised to take action against those responsible for the attack.