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‘Like You, I'll Never Marry': Bihar Woman's Remark To Rahul Gandhi Goes Viral
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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.
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.
आज गया में Shakti Samvad कार्यक्रम के मंच से मैंने अपनी आवाज़ उठाई – महिलाओं के मुद्दे, मोहल्ले की समस्याएं, और जनता की सच्चाई को Rahul Gandhi ji के सामने रखा।मैं Riya Paswan हूं, और मैं हर ग़लत के खिलाफ खड़ी हूं। — 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.
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.'
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