BJP accuses Rahul Gandhi of hypocrisy over women’s empowerment

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. Gandhi of “misogyny” and referred to a recent Congress event.

“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. 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.

“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. Swaraj said.

She said that had Mr. 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. Swaraj said, adding that the Congress leader’s “smash the patriarchy” slogan was hypocritical.

“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.

The BJP leader also criticised Mr. Gandhi and the Congress for opposing the BJP government’s Triple Talaq legislation. She listed the government’s women-focused policies to emphasise what she described as its record of economic and social empowerment of women.