Youth Congress Deletes Rally Promo Video After Backlash Over Footage Of Man Filming Women

The Indian Youth Congress (IYC) has deleted a promotional video for its November 1 ‘Chalo Delhi’ rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan after facing criticism over footage that appeared to show a man secretly filming women on a street at night.

The 20-second video, captioned “Kinda chic tho??”, showed a man using his phone’s flashlight to film three women walking at night before taking several pictures of them. As he zoomed in on one of the images, a poster publicising the Ramlila rally was visible on the woman’s phone.

The video drew criticism on social media, with users accusing the organisation of presenting behaviour resembling stalking and street harassment as fashionable. The IYC subsequently removed the post.

IYC President Says Stalking Should Not Be Encouraged

Asked about the message the video was intended to convey, IYC president Uday Bhanu did not offer a direct explanation but said stalking should not be encouraged.

Bhanu told India Today that the organisation’s IT Cell handled social media content and that it was not possible to approve every video posted online. “It's wrong to secretly film someone or take their pictures. We also want to know why the IT Cell posted this video,” he said.

Responding to the criticism, the Youth Congress took a swipe at its critics, saying it did not “usually respond to IT Cell coolies” and adding, “Everyone has bills to pay.”

The organisation also sought to turn the focus towards the BJP by raising questions about the Ankita Bhandari murder case in Uttarakhand.

“Want to discuss women's safety? Explain how the VVIP culprit in the Ankita Bhandari case became a Governor,” the Youth Congress said, before adding, “Sit down. Let Gen Z speak.”

The response did little to prevent further criticism of the now-deleted video. BJP leader Vishnu Vardhan Reddy accused the Congress youth wing of normalising harassment.

“Indian Youth Congress is normalising stalking and harassment in the name of its so-called 'Chalo Delhi' campaign. What a cheap party Congress has become,” Reddy wrote on X.

INDIA Bloc Rally On November 1 To Target CEC Gyanesh Kumar

The controversy comes ahead of the INDIA bloc’s planned rally at Ramlila Maidan on November 1. The Opposition alliance expects around 10 lakh people to attend the event, which is aimed at demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The rally is being projected as the culmination of the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march and a show of Opposition unity against what the Congress describes as “vote chori”.

The Congress has accused the Election Commission of irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls, allegations that remain contested. The party says the rally will send a strong message about the Opposition’s commitment to protecting democracy and the Constitution.