Rahul Gandhi renews attack on RSS over women (Img: IANS)
New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday launched a fresh attack on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), calling it an “all-male anti-constitutional cult” that considers women the property of men. He said his belief in Shiva-Shakti gave him joy in taking on the organisation.
The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha made the remarks in a post on X on the RSS’s foundation day. He also claimed that many women associated with the organisation supported his position, sharpening his criticism of what he has described as a patriarchal outlook within the RSS and the BJP.
“The RSS is an all male anti-constitutional cult that believes women are the property of men. I believe in Shiva-Shakti,” Gandhi said on X.
“That's why it gives me such joy to fight them. What's beautiful is that many of their 'own' women are on my side,” the former Congress president added.
The RSS is an al male anti-constitutional cult that believes women are the property of men.
I believe in Shiva-Shakti.
That's why it gives me such joy to fight them.
What's beautiful is that many of their “own” women are on my side.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 20, 2026
The remarks follow Gandhi’s earlier criticism of patriarchal attitudes and his argument that women should have the freedom to make their own choices.
In August, while addressing his youth outreach programme, ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’, in Pune, Gandhi criticised prescriptions in the Manusmriti that place women under the authority of male relatives at different stages of their lives. He called such ideas “a shame” and urged women to assert their independence.
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“You belong to nobody, except yourself. You have a relationship with your father, brother, husband, your son, but you do not belong to them, and you belong to yourself,” he had said.
Gandhi had also accused the RSS and the BJP of promoting a mindset that restricts women’s freedom. The BJP, in response to his Pune remarks, questioned his understanding of Indian scriptures and dismissed the event as a public relations exercise.
Gandhi’s comments came on the day RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat delivered his Vijayadashami address in Nagpur. Bhagwat said agitations aimed at changing governments or regimes did not address fundamental problems and could instead be exploited for political purposes.
According to reports, he warned that such movements risked deepening divisions in society rather than offering lasting solutions.
The contrasting remarks reflect the continuing political debate between the Congress and the RSS over constitutional values, gender equality and the direction of Indian society.
