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During the Mahila Samwad programme, Riya Paswan told Rahul Gandhi that it was his journey that inspired her to step into politics.
A video of the interaction showed Rahul Gandhi smiling as Riya Paswan addressed the gathering.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Bihar ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections sparked a viral moment during a women’s outreach event in Gaya, where social media personality and grassroots activist Riya Paswan- widely known as ‘Pad Girl’- said that she has political ambitions and vowed to remain unmarried, just like Rahul Gandhi.
During the Mahila Samwad programme, Riya Paswan told Rahul Gandhi that it was his journey that inspired her to step into politics.
“I owe my progress to the Shakti Abhiyan,” she said, referring to the Congress party’s initiative aimed at increasing women’s political participation. She added that politics was the foundation for change in sectors like education, but said that there is a lack of female representation, especially from marginalized communities.
Today I raised my voice from the stage of Shakti Samvad program in Gaya – I am putting up the issue of women, problems of the neighborhood, and the truth of the public in front of Rahul Gandhi Ji. I am Riya Paswan, and I am standing against every wrong. pic.twitter.com/7ymZftN8W0– Riya Kumari (@Kumarir6529) June 7, 2025
Riya Paswan, who lives in a slum and has mobilized a strong grassroots team through the Congress-led campaign, told the crowd, “We’ve built a large team in slum areas during the Shakti Abhiyan. Now, if people have any issues, they come directly to us.”
A video of the interaction, widely shared on X (formerly Twitter), showed Rahul Gandhi smiling as Riya Paswan addressed the gathering.
“You give good speeches,” he told her.
But the event took a lighthearted turn when Riya Paswan said, “Like you, I’m also thinking of never getting married,” prompting laughter and applause from the audience.
She went on to say, “I want to become a leader and serve the people. The Shakti Abhiyan helped me understand what politics really means.”
Who is Riya Paswan?
Riya Paswan rose to national prominence in 2022 when she famously confronted IAS officer Harjot Kaur Bhamra at a public event, asking why the government couldn’t provide free sanitary pads- earning her the nickname ‘Pad Girl.’
When not reading, this ex-literature student can be found searching for an answer to the question, “What is the purpose of journalism in society?”
When not reading, this ex-literature student can be found searching for an answer to the question, “What is the purpose of journalism in society?”
- Location :
Bihar, India, India
- First Published:
