New Delhi. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on the ‘Manusmriti’ have once again intensified the debate in Indian politics over religion, tradition, women’s rights and the Constitution. During an interaction with female students in Pune, Rahul Gandhi referred to a verse from the ‘Manusmriti’, raised the issue of women’s freedom and criticised the Manusmriti by linking it to patriarchy. The Vishva Hindu Parishad has reacted sharply to his remarks.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) accused Rahul Gandhi of putting the entire Hindu society in the dock on the basis of a selective quotation from a Hindu scripture and asked whether the Congress leader would show the same courage by publicly quoting statements concerning women from the religious scriptures of other faiths.
राहुल गांधी जी, बिना समझे मनुस्मृति के एक श्लोक को चुनकर हिन्दू समाज को कटघरे में खड़ा करना आपके लिए बहुत आसान है। किंतु, क्या कभी आप उतना ही साहस कुरान, बाइबल व अन्य अब्राहमिक पुस्तकों में महिलाओं के संदर्भ में कही गई बातों को भी सार्वजनिक रूप से उद्धृत करने के लिए जुटा पाएंगे!…
— विनोद बंसल Vinod Bansal বিনোদ বনসল వినోద్ బన్సాల్ (@vinod_bansal) August 23, 2026
Rahul Gandhi raises the issue of ‘Manusmriti’ among female students
During the ‘Students’ Echo’ programme organised in Pune on Saturday, Rahul Gandhi spoke with female students and referred to a verse from the ‘Manusmriti’. Through the verse, he argued that a woman is said to remain under the authority of her father during childhood, her husband during youth and her sons after her husband’s death. Rahul Gandhi described this arrangement as being against women’s freedom and said that women belong to themselves and are not the property of any male relative. He described the system mentioned in the ‘Manusmriti’ as ‘shameful’ and emphasised the rights of women and the need to end patriarchy.
VHP hits back- why question Hindu society on the basis of a selective verse?
Following Rahul Gandhi’s remarks, the Vishva Hindu Parishad described them as a political statement directly targeting Hindu society and its traditions. VHP national spokesperson Vinod Bansal launched a sharp attack on Rahul Gandhi through a social media post.
Bansal said that presenting a single verse from the ‘Manusmriti’ out of context and putting the entire Hindu society in the dock on that basis is not justified. He advised Rahul Gandhi to understand the ‘Manusmriti’ in its entirety and to study its various commentaries and traditional interpretations before drawing any conclusions on its basis.
The VHP argues that when a verse from any ancient text is viewed in isolation from its historical, social and philosophical context, its meaning can emerge in an entirely different form.
Rahul Gandhi is talking about Manusmriti in a rally for students.
Since when was Manusmriti part of any syllabus?!
Why doesn't he ever use any other religion in his talks?
Oh yeah it's bcos He Hates Hindus!
Shame on those foolish Hindus who fall for his nonsense! pic.twitter.com/8zl7MPFUNc
— 🦋Anjna🦋 (@SaffronQueen_) August 22, 2026
Bansal’s question- will you show the same courage on the Quran and the Bible?
The VHP spokesperson directly challenged Rahul Gandhi by asking whether, if he can publicly quote statements concerning women from the ‘Manusmriti’ and criticise them, he would also show the courage to publicly quote, in the same manner, statements concerning women from the Quran, the Bible and other Abrahamic scriptures.
This question has now become the centre of the entire controversy
The VHP alleges that in Indian politics, certain passages from Hindu religious traditions and scriptures are readily subjected to criticism, whereas political parties and leaders do not display the same degree of clarity when it comes to the religious scriptures of other faiths.
‘Read the entire Manusmriti first, then issue your certificate’
Vinod Bansal asked Rahul Gandhi, “Do you know that ‘Yatra naryastu pujyante ramante tatra devatah’ is also a verse from the Manusmriti?” He said that Rahul Gandhi should first read the entire ‘Manusmriti’, understand its various commentaries and the saintly tradition, and only then issue any certificate to Hindu society.
The VHP’s clear position is that presenting the ‘Manusmriti’ merely as a text containing a negative attitude towards women would amount to reducing the complexity and diversity of the Indian tradition to a single conclusion. Bansal alleged that selective quotations and their distorted meanings can influence political discourse, but they do not present the complete historical truth.
Rahul Gandhi is impressing a crowd full of Muslim Girls with his views about Manusmriti.
He could have talked about 6 year old Ayesha, Halala etc too.
But Alas, Votes are important.#ChhatronKiGoonj pic.twitter.com/Hvxt6Z1S8k
— Kashmiri Hindu (@BattaKashmiri) August 22, 2026
‘Nari Shakti’ versus ‘Patriarchy’ debate
An important aspect of this controversy is also the broader debate over the position of women in Indian tradition. While Rahul Gandhi regards the verse quoted from the Manusmriti as an example of a patriarchal system opposed to women’s freedom, the VHP, while highlighting the role of Nari Shakti in Indian civilisation, describes this perspective as one-sided.
Women’s Discourse: Rahul’s Ignorance or Lies about the “Manusmriti”?
– Dr Mayank Chaturvedi
Rahul Gandhi, at an event in Pune, referred to the well-known verse from the Manusmriti, ‘Na stri svatantryamarhati’, and, on its basis, questioned the Manusmriti’s perspective on women.… pic.twitter.com/3NRi69zwNM
— DR. MAYANK CHATURVEDI (@mayankkibat) August 22, 2026
The VHP’s clear position is that in Indian civilisation, women have been honoured in diverse forms as embodiments of power, knowledge, prosperity and motherhood. The organisation maintains that defining Indian culture solely on the basis of a single verse from a single text does not do justice to historical and cultural realities. For the VHP, the question is not merely about the Manusmriti, but also about the perspective through which Indian civilisation is viewed.
