New Delhi, August 26, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday accused Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi of adopting “double standards” on issues concerning women and alleged that the recent ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ event in Pune was used to divert attention from remarks allegedly made by Congress leaders about Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Addressing a press conference, BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj referred to Gandhi’s August 22 call to “smash the patriarchy” and questioned whether the slogan applied within the Congress as well.
“On 22nd August, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi attempted to construct a new false narrative in this country. He says, ‘smash the patriarchy’, and I am all for it. But I want to ask Rahul Gandhi: Do you limit your slogan only to the stage in Pune, and do you continue to shelter political patriarchy within your own Congress party?” she said.
Swaraj alleged that Gandhi lacked a positive agenda and was attempting to influence voters based on material prepared by his research team.
She cited several instances in which Congress leaders had faced criticism over remarks concerning women. Referring to comments allegedly made from Congress leader Supriya Shrinate’s social media account about actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut around the time of her election nomination, Swaraj alleged that Gandhi had remained silent. She said she had personally lodged a complaint over the remarks.
The BJP leader also referred to Congress leader Randeep Surjewala’s 2024 remarks concerning BJP MP Hema Malini, following which he was barred from campaigning for 48 hours, and questioned why Gandhi had not spoken out then.
Swaraj further cited Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s 2022 reference to President Droupadi Murmu as “Rashtrapatni”, former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath’s alleged use of the term “item” for a woman BJP leader in 2020, and former Karnataka Congress MLA K.R. Ramesh Kumar’s controversial 2021 remark involving rape in the state Assembly.
“Why were you not smashing patriarchy then?” she asked Gandhi, questioning whether his slogan was merely “rhetoric”.
Swaraj also questioned why there was no woman minister in the Karnataka or Himachal Pradesh Cabinets, where Congress governments are in power, according to her claim.
She accused the Congress of reducing women’s empowerment to an electoral slogan and alleged that the party had opposed the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.
The BJP MP also criticised Gandhi’s remarks on the Manusmriti at the Pune event, describing them as “selective outrage”. Referring to the constitutional guarantee of equality, she questioned the Congress’s position on issues affecting Muslim women and cited its opposition to the Triple Talaq legislation.
Swaraj alleged that Gandhi’s “smash the patriarchy” remarks were intended to divert attention from what she described as “misogynistic and indecent” comments allegedly made about Meloni during a Congress event on August 13.
She also challenged Gandhi to sing the complete version of Vande Mataram, while accusing the Congress of “surrendering to Jihadi mindset”.
“This nation deserves a better Leader of Opposition,” Swaraj said.
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