Rahul Gandhi (Congress) launched a "Smash Patriarchy" campaign that has triggered a political confrontation with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the Manusmriti [1].
The dispute highlights a deep ideological divide in India regarding the intersection of ancient cultural texts, gender rights, and national heritage. While Congress frames the issue as a fight against systemic oppression, the BJP views the critique of the text as an assault on Hindu tradition.
Gandhi introduced the campaign during the "Chhatron Ki Goonj" event in Pune [4]. During the event, Gandhi said, "We must smash the patriarchy" [2]. He cited the Manusmriti, an ancient legal text, to condemn patriarchal structures and their impact on society [1].
BJP leaders reacted to the rhetoric. Yogi Adityanath (BJP) said, "Why destroy India's heritage?" [3]. Other BJP leaders, including Kiren Rijiju and Himanta Biswa Sarma, joined the criticism, framing the campaign as an attempt to create communal controversy [1].
The row has expanded beyond the two primary parties. P Sandosh Kumar, an MP from the Communist Party of India (CPI), backed the Congress leader's position. Kumar said, "Patriarchy is a menace" [5].
Critics of the campaign have attempted to pivot the conversation toward women's rights records and the hijab controversy to challenge the validity of Gandhi's push [6]. The BJP continues to maintain that the attack on the Manusmriti is an attack on the cultural fabric of the country [3].
“"We must smash the patriarchy"”
This confrontation demonstrates how the BJP utilizes 'heritage' as a political shield to frame social critiques of patriarchy as attacks on religion. By linking the Manusmriti to national identity, the BJP shifts the debate from gender equality to cultural preservation, a strategy often used to consolidate its base against the Congress party's progressive framing.
