The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday (August 26, 2026) accused Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and the Congress of hypocrisy over women’s empowerment, citing what it described as inappropriate remarks by several Congress leaders.
At a press conference, BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj accused Mr. “Ten days ago, Mr. Gandhi himself participated with Sandeep Dikshit in a very cheap joke targeting a woman Prime Minister, and that too the Prime Minister of our friendly country, Italy, Ms. Meloni. “You want to smash the patriarchy? I am very comfortable singing Christmas carols on Christmas, singing Vande Mataram in its entirety, and reciting the Shiv Tandav. I challenge you: If you want to actually smash the patriarchy, then sing Vande Mataram in its entirety…,” Ms. Gandhi truly wanted to act on women’s empowerment, he would not have strongly opposed the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. “Mr. Gandhi has neither a vision nor any positive agenda. That is why whatever his research team writes down on a piece of paper and gives him, he tries to use it to mislead the youth of this country,” Ms. “Why the selective outrage? Why have you targeted only one community in India? Why does your ‘smashing of patriarchy’ change depending on the religion?” she asked, referring to the Congress government’s decision to overturn the Supreme Court judgment in the Shah Bano case that had granted maintenance to the petitioner. Ms. Swaraj cited statements by several Congress leaders, alleging that they had made inappropriate remarks against women. She questioned why, if the party genuinely wanted to challenge patriarchy, there was no woman minister in the Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh Cabinets.
Earlier reporting noted: Bihar government using police to evade accountability, says Rahul Gandhi The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi , on Wednesday (August 26, 2026), accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Bihar government of using the police to suppress student protests instead of addressing allegations of irregularities in recruitment examinations.
Gandhi of “misogyny” and referred to a recent Congress event. It was almost like you were overhearing boys talking in a local room….,” she said, alleging that Mr. Gandhi’s “smash the patriarchy” remarks in Pune were an attempt to divert attention from the controversy. Swaraj said. She said that had Mr. Swaraj said, adding that the Congress leader’s “smash the patriarchy” slogan was hypocritical. Earlier reporting noted: Though social media posts claimed that the child had been “arrested” for participating in the protest, the police said he had been taken to the police station for his “own safety” and was later handed over to his mother, a domestic worker.
Earlier reporting noted: The Congress leader’s remarks came amid a controversy over a viral video of a six-year-old boy who was taken away by the police during a student protest in Patna .
