The BJP and the Congress traded fierce charges on Sunday over Rahul Gandhi's student interaction in Pune on Saturday, with the ruling party dismissing the event as a "political comedy show" and the Opposition claiming the BJP was rattled by his growing appeal among the youth.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also joined in the controversy, terming the Leader of Opposition's political stance hypocritical for preaching women’s empowerment while opposing the Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament, and labelling the Congress a directionless party of "show-offs and loudmouths" seeking television relevance.
The verbal exchange follows Gandhi's outreach programme, 'Chhatron Ki Goonj', held on Saturday in Pune, where he had lashed out at the "Manusmriti mindset", urged women to "smash patriarchy", and took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks concerning female protesters at Jantar Mantar.
Slamming the Congress's outreach event, 'Chhatron Ki Goonj', BJP Maharashtra vice-president Keshav Upadhye alleged that Gandhi delivered generic political rhetoric instead of addressing genuine student concerns and also claimed that attendees were ferried in college buses to manufacture a crowd.
"Rahul Gandhi's Pune event was yet another political comedy show," Upadhye said in a statement. "While searching for Manuwad, the Congress should first look in the mirror."
He highlighted the Congress's opposition to the candidature of President Droupadi Murmu and the legislation banning triple talaq as evidence of hypocrisy on women's rights, adding that the opposition party was relying on caste and religious divides out of frustration over electoral losses.
Hitting back, Congress national secretary Sachin Sawant claimed the BJP had lost sleep over the "unprecedented response" to Gandhi's interaction despite state authorities imposing transport restrictions and logistical hurdles.
Turning his sights on Fadnavis's Gen Z interaction in Nagpur, Sawant alleged that the ruling alliance had systematically undermined youth prospects in the state.
"Perhaps the chief minister will tell them about the importance of Manusmriti, that the patriarchal system is good, and that the RSS and VHP will decide what women should wear, say and how they should behave," Sawant charged, adding that merely claiming the title of a youth icon does not make one.
Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Fadnavis remarked that the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition should first answer why he refuses to support the Women's Reservation Bill before lecturing others on empowerment.
In the country's constitutional process, the highest institution is the Parliament, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working to ensure that 33 per cent of MPs are women, he said.
"Coming to Pune to talk about women and then opposing the very bill that would give them real power, that's Rahul Gandhi's hypocritical stand," Fadnavis said.
He said that while on stage Gandhi did speak about women's empowerment, but he has opposed and voted against the most revolutionary step to give women rights — the Women's Reservation Bill.
"He does not want to give rights to women. I believe his words don't match his actions," the chief minister said.
Fadnavis further slammed the Congress, dubbing it as a "directionless party of show-offs and loudmouths".
"Their job is just to make speeches every day and stay relevant through television; that's all they do. They have lost touch with the ground. This party is limited to merely issuing statements," he claimed.
(With inputs from PTI)