Claim
On Rahul Gandhi's birthday, overenthusiastic Congress workers had similarly depicted him as Parashuram, with an axe in one hand and the Constitution in the other.
“राहुल जी परशुराम अवतार में थे। एक हाथ में फरसा, एक हाथ में संविधान... तब भी राहुल गांधी जी का जन्मदिवस था।”▶ Watch source segment
Rationale
Multiple independent Indian outlets (WION, Aaj Tak, DNA, The Federal) confirm that on Rahul Gandhi's 56th birthday, June 19, 2026 — before the July 1, 2026 broadcast — Youth Congress workers in Varanasi displayed a poster depicting him as Lord Parashuram with a farsa (axe) in one hand and the Constitution in the other, and performed rituals on it. This precisely matches the anchor's claim, including the specific detail of the axe in one hand and the Constitution in the other. The event is well-documented and drew BJP and Brahmin-community criticism.
Evidence
- https://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-hindu-deity-poster-varanasi-birthday-controversy-1781862756069 Reports that on Rahul Gandhi's 56th birthday (June 19, 2026), Youth Congress workers in Varanasi displayed a poster portraying him as Lord Parashuram holding a battle axe in one hand and a copy of the Constitution in the other, and performed rituals on the Ganga banks. ✗ unreachable · HTTP 403
- https://www.aajtak.in/elections/assembly-chunav/story/congress-rahul-gandhi-birthday-poster-lord-parashuram-and-constituent-political-message-ntcpkb-dskc-2582234-2026-06-19 Aaj Tak (June 19, 2026): headline states 'एक हाथ में परशुराम का फरसा, दूसरे में संविधान' — one hand holding Parashuram's axe, the other the Constitution — on a Rahul Gandhi birthday poster, matching the anchor's exact description. ✓ reachable · archived
- https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-rahul-gandhi-worshipped-as-lord-parashurama-sparks-row-congress-workers-pour-milk-on-poster-watch-video-3213739 DNA confirms Congress workers worshipped a poster of Rahul Gandhi as Lord Parashurama, pouring milk on it, sparking a political row. ✗ unreachable · HTTP 403
- https://thefederal.com/category/news/rahul-gandhi-birthday-celebrations-parashuram-varanasi-congress-controversy-bjp-247305 The Federal corroborates the Varanasi Parashuram-avatar birthday depiction and the resulting BJP criticism. ✓ reachable · archived