Mahila, Manusmriti, ‘purification’ row: Rahul Gandhi’s new political pitch

Rahul Gandhi recently sparked a backlash from the BJP by criticising the Manusmriti, the ancient Hindu text, for viewing women only as an extension of their father, husband, or son. (ANI Photo) 8 min readNew DelhiAug 31, 2026 10:47 PM IST First published on: Aug 30, 2026 at 06:37 PM IST The “shuddhikaran (purification)” controversy, Manusmriti, “Chhatron ki Goonj”, and the caste census. These four show that Rahul Gandhi is moving according to a plan. The Leader of Opposition (LoP) has stepped up efforts to create a new narrative geared to win over Dalits, women, Gen Z, the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and minorities, having eyed this constituency of “90% of India” for some time now. Gandhi recently sparked a backlash from the BJP by criticising the Manusmriti, the ancient Hindu text, for viewing women only as an extension of their father, husband, or son. Not unexpectedly, the ruling party accused him of being derisive about the Hindu faith. The stage is now set for a slugfest between the two parties, each reaching out to constituencies that might enable them to come to power in Uttar Pradesh and other poll-bound states in 2027.