New Delhi: The BJP on Wednesday hit out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his “smash the patriarchy” remark, alleging that he had reduced himself to “memes and reels” and questioning his record on working for women’s empowerment.
The BJP’s attack came after Gandhi on Saturday criticised the “Manusmriti mindset” and urged girl students to “smash the patriarchy”, while also taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his comment that he was shocked to hear girls using abusive language during the protest at Jantar Mantar in July.
“Smash the patriarchy” is a slogan popularised by young feminists to raise their voice against a culture of patriarchal oppression.
Interacting with girl students at his Chhatron Ki Goonj outreach programme in Pune, Gandhi, who is the leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said women belonged to themselves and not to their fathers, husbands or sons. He also termed shameful the Manusmriti’s prescription that a woman should remain under the authority of male relatives at every stage of her life.
Ever since Gandhi’s remarks, the BJP has stepped up its attack on him.
Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, senior BJP leader and MP Bansuri Swaraj said Gandhi was trying to create a “false narrative”. She alleged that Gandhi had neither a vision nor a positive agenda.
“Rahul Gandhi ji has neither a vision nor any positive agenda. Therefore, whatever his research team writes on a slip of paper and gives him, he uses it to mislead the youth and the country’s voters.
“This does not befit the Leader of Opposition. It appears that Rahul Gandhi now makes statements only for memes and reel value,” she told reporters.
Swaraj also attacked Gandhi over his alleged remarks concerning Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and said they were unbecoming of a leader of the Opposition.
“On August 22, Rahul Gandhi made this smash-the-patriarchy statement on stage in Pune. And just 10 days ago, he and (son of former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit) Sandeep Dikshit participated in a very cheap joke against a woman prime minister: Meloni ji, the sitting prime minister of our friendly country Italy,” Swaraj said.
“It was almost like you were overhearing boys talking in a locker room. He was actually resorting to cheap innuendos. He was resorting to sensationalism for nothing but traction on social media,” she added.
Swaraj alleged that Gandhi raised the issue of patriarchy at the Pune event to cover up his alleged remarks against Meloni.
“The thing is, you made cheap innuendos on August 13. The way you made a sexist, misogynistic and indecent comment against the woman prime minister of Italy, you talked about smash-the-patriarchy on the Pune stage to cover that up,” she said.
Citing the alleged objectionable remarks by several Congress leaders against women, Swaraj accused Gandhi and his party of hypocrisy.
She referred to a controversy during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and alleged that an indecent comment was made about BJP MP Kangana Ranaut from the social media account of Congress leader Supriya Shrinate.
She also referred to Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala’s remarks against BJP MP Hema Malini during the Lok Sabha election campaign and Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s use of the term “Rashtrapatni” for President Droupadi Murmu.
Alleging that Gandhi had remained silent on such remarks, Swaraj questioned his commitment to “smashing the patriarchy”.
“Rahul Gandhi ji, why did you maintain silence then? Is this smashing-the-patriarchy nothing but political rhetoric for you?” the BJP MP asked, adding that women’s empowerment had become an election slogan for Gandhi and the Congress.
Swaraj attacked the Congress over its stand on the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which provides 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
“Rahul Gandhi ji wants to reduce women to mere voters at polling booths. He does not want the daughter of India to become the architect of India’s destiny,” alleged Swaraj, accusing Gandhi of “selective outrage” on women’s issues and questioning his position on women’s rights in the context of religion.
“They talk about a ‘Manusmriti mindset’. I want to tell Rahul Gandhi ji: you are displaying selective outrage. Our Constitution teaches us equal respect for all religions. Rahul Gandhi ji displays the Constitution certainly, but he never takes the trouble of opening and reading it. Why the selective outrage? Why does your ‘smashing of patriarchy’ change colour depending on religion?” she asked.
On women’s freedom to choose what they wear, Swaraj said women did not need Gandhi’s approval or certification.
“Of course, women have all the freedom in the entire world to wear whatever they like. I can tell you, as a woman, I do not need a certificate from Rahul Gandhi to know what I can wear and what I cannot wear,” she said.
