‘Mindset to Suppress Women Came From Manusmriti’: Rahul Gandhi at Pune’s Chhatron Ki Goonj
Pune, 22nd August 2026: Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday interacted with thousands of girls at the fourth edition of his ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ programme in Pune, asserting that the fight today was against a mindset that seeks to suppress women and restrict their freedom.
Addressing the gathering, Gandhi alleged that the mindset of keeping women suppressed had its roots in the Manusmriti. “We do not want an India where girls and women are kept confined in cages. We want a system where everyone is treated with respect,” he said.
Gandhi said women had been denied their rights and freedoms for thousands of years and argued that a woman’s identity should not be restricted to her relationship with a man.
“A girl may be someone’s daughter, sister, wife or mother, but she is not their property. She belongs to herself,” Gandhi said.
He said women should be able to stand on their own feet and build independent identities as professionals, sportspersons, leaders, creators and entrepreneurs.
Gandhi also spoke about what he described as three forms of violence used to prevent women from progressing — physical violence, denial of opportunities and economic violence.
Citing figures during his address, Gandhi claimed that 4.5 lakh female foetuses are aborted every year, 80 per cent of women face harassment, 29 per cent experience physical violence and six per cent are subjected to rape.
He further claimed that restrictions imposed in the name of safety deny educational and employment opportunities to around 50 per cent of women, while women also bear additional financial costs because of the need for safer modes of travel.
Gandhi said women continued to face restrictions on their freedom of movement and decision-making. He cited figures claiming that 60 per cent of women cannot leave their homes alone, 45 per cent have to give up education or work because of marriage or domestic responsibilities, and only eight per cent of women own land.
He also said fear of social stigma resulted in 99 per cent of sexual violence cases against women going unreported. According to the figures cited by him, 84 per cent of women require family permission to work, while women earn 25 per cent less than men and face difficulties in securing promotions.
“When I speak to men, I find that women are often seen through only three frames — daughter, wife or mother. There is nothing wrong with any of these roles, but they cannot be your only identities,” Gandhi said.
The Congress leader also accused the BJP and people associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of subscribing to a mindset that seeks to confine women.
The programme was held amid allegations by the Congress that attempts had been made to disrupt the event and discourage girls from attending it. The party claimed that participants had been threatened and that efforts were made to discredit the programme. Despite these alleged attempts, the Congress said the event received a strong response.
Gandhi arrived in Pune in the afternoon and was welcomed by Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal, Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar, Legislative Council group leader Satej Patil, senior leaders Balasaheb Thorat, Naseem Khan and Yashomati Thakur, among others.
Later in the evening, Gandhi interacted with the girls and heard about their questions, problems and concerns.
