BJP leaders question Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on the Manusmriti and women’s rights
Talking to female students in Maharashtra, the Congress leader had spoken against the ‘Manusmriti mindset’, called on students to ‘smash patriarchy’, and said women belonged to themselves, not to their fathers, husbands or sons
BJP leaders have raised concerns over comments made by opposition leader Rahul Gandhi regarding the Manusmriti and women's rights. BJP member Nishikant Dubey highlighted verses from the text that stress respect for women, while Assam's Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma accused Gandhi of using women's empowerment to attack Hinduism.
Sarma questioned why Gandhi has not spoken out against "patriarchal and medieval practices that persist under Sharia". During a meeting with female students in Maharashtra on August 22, 2026, Gandhi criticized the "Manusmriti mindset", urged students to "smash patriarchy", and emphasized that women belong to themselves, not their male relatives.
The Congress party shared a photograph of Gandhi with an attributed quote, which stated that the Manusmriti says a woman should never be independent, but Gandhi believes women should be. Dubey responded on Gandhi's X account, challenging him to read the Manusmriti and understand Hindu scriptures. Sarma accused Gandhi of being a "Hindu baiter" and using the women's rights cause to discredit Hinduism, pointing out that Gandhi has not criticized Sharia with the same intensity.
Sarma questioned Gandhi's genuine intentions for championing women's rights or using it to malign Hindu Dharma, referencing the Congress party's opposition to the Triple Talaq law and their alleged betrayal of women by reversing the Shah Bano judgment.
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