Reporter asked to leave courtroom during Rahul Gandhi's hearing; Prashant Bhushan decries lack of transparency

A reporter from legal news website Live Law was asked to leave the courtroom by a judge during a hearing of a plea challenging Rahul Gandhi's election as an MP from Raebareli, a move that sparked widespread criticism on social media.

The incident took place on Wednesday during the hearing at the Allahabad High Court, wherein Justice Manish Mathur, who was hearing the case, asked the reporter to leave.

"Aap [referring to the reporter of Live Law] bahar jaaiye aur wahan reporting kijiye apni," Justice Mathur was quoted as saying by the publication.

The move, however, did not sit well with many on social media, with senior lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan calling out the judge.

"Courts are open to all including reporters. At a time when SC is moving towards live-streaming of proceedings, some judges want no transparency in their courts!," Bhushan wrote on X in the aftermath of the incident.

"Live Law reporting in this particular case exposed how right wing lawyers are taking courts on a ride. The judge took it personally and asked the reporter to leave the court," wrote another user on X.

It is, however, unclear why the reporter was asked to leave the courtroom.