BJP leaders question Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on the Manusmriti and women’s rights
BJP leaders have criticized Rahul Gandhi for his remarks regarding the Manusmriti and its impact on women's rights. While Gandhi argued that the text promotes a patriarchal mindset, BJP leaders Nishikant Dubey and Himanta Biswa Sarma defended the scripture and accused Gandhi of using the issue to target Hinduism.
Why it matters
The exchange highlights the ongoing political tension in India regarding the interpretation of religious texts and their role in modern social discourse on gender equality.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders have questioned the remarks made by the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on the Manusmriti and women’s rights . BJP MP Nishikant Dubey quoted two verses from the text that emphasise respect for women, while Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma accused Mr. Gandhi of using women’s empowerment as a pretext to target Hinduism.
Mr. Sarma also asked how often the Congress leader had spoken against what he described as “patriarchal and medieval practices that persist under Sharia”.
During an interaction with female students in Maharashtra on August 22, 2026, Mr. Gandhi spoke against the “ Manusmriti mindset”, called on students to “smash patriarchy”, and said women belonged to themselves, not to their fathers, husbands or sons.
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