Congress backs women’s right to choose attire, says bodily autonomy ‘firmly’ supported

Congress leader Pawan Khera emphasized on August 25, 2026, that the party firmly supports women's bodily autonomy and agency, stating that every woman, regardless of their caste, class or religion, has the right to choose her attire. Khera tweeted on social media platform X, "Every woman, irrespective of caste, class or religion, is entitled to wear what she chooses — hijab, ghoonghat or anything else." He used the hashtags #BreakTheCage and #SmashThePatriarchy to convey his message.

The Allahabad High Court's recent decision on August 25, 2026, ruled that wearing the hijab cannot be established as an "essential religious practice" of Islam. However, Khera's remarks also seemed to address the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) criticism of his party leader Rahul Gandhi regarding his comments on the Manusmriti during the Congress's 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' programme in Pune on August 22, 2026.

The BJP accused Gandhi of selectively targeting a Hindu religious text while discussing "smash the patriarchy," questioning why he hadn't made similar remarks about religious texts of other faiths.

Khera's comments appear to put the Congress's response in the context of women's autonomy, drawing a distinction between the question of religious interpretation and a woman's right to decide what she wears.