BJP's Irani urges Rahul Gandhi to back women's quota, full Vande Mataram
On Sunday, BJP general secretary Smriti Irani responded to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's recent remarks on women's empowerment by urging him to back the implementation of 33% reservation for women in legislatures and the singing of the full version of Vande Mataram at the Congress headquarters.
Mr. Gandhi had made the remarks during his 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' outreach programme in Pune on Saturday, where he interacted with girl students. He encouraged them to "smash patriarchy" and criticised what he called a "Manusmriti mindset" that, in his view, keeps women under the authority of male relatives at every stage of life. He also claimed that violence is used in society to hinder women's progress and that 80% of women experience harassment.
Addressing reporters in New Delhi, Ms. Irani, recently appointed as BJP national general secretary, linked Mr. Gandhi's invocation of religion to a request. She noted that the verses of Vande Mataram, which were stopped short at Congress events, include a reference to Goddess Durga. The BJP has criticised the Congress for singing only two stanzas of the national song at its programmes, calling the decision an "insult".
The controversy stems from the Congress's practice of chanting only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram at its gatherings. The song, composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, contains multiple verses that invoke the motherland as a goddess, symbolising strength and divinity. The first two stanzas are officially recognised as the national song, but the full rendition includes such invocations.
Ms. Irani highlighted Hindu religious principles that venerate women, quoting the Sanskrit verse "Yatra naryastu pujyante ramante tatra devatah" (where women are honoured, divinity resides). She said Hindus worship Goddesses like Bhagwati, Lakshmi, Saraswati, and Durga, who represents Shakti or divine power. Ms. Irani urged that the full rendition of Vande Mataram, including verses invoking Goddess Durga, be performed at the Congress headquarters.
She also called on Mr. Gandhi to translate his support for women into action by backing the "immediate implementation" of the bill that provides for 33% reservation for women in Parliament. Ms. Irani noted that the bill has already been passed by Parliament, and she asked Mr. Gandhi to extend support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiative for its swift implementation.
The women's reservation bill, formally the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Amendment) Bill, was passed in September 2023. It mandates one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies. However, its operationalisation requires delimitation and the completion of a census, which are pending. The Congress has not yet responded to Ms. Irani's request.
The exchange underscores the continuing political friction between the BJP and the Congress on issues of women's empowerment and national symbols. While Mr. Gandhi's remarks were aimed at highlighting systemic patriarchy, Ms. Irani's response sought to question the Congress's commitments through both legislative and cultural lenses.
