Rahul Gandhi Urges Women to Smash Patriarchy at Pune Event

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addressed girl students at the AISSMS ground in Pune on Saturday as part of his Chhatron ki Goonj campaign. During the event, Gandhi urged Gen Z women to smash the patriarchy and fight for their space in society. He argued that women belong to themselves rather than to their fathers, husbands, or sons, specifically rejecting a verse from the Manusmriti that suggests women should remain under the authority of male relatives throughout their lives.

Gandhi targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi by playing a video clip in which the Prime Minister expressed cultural shock over the use of foul language by girls during a protest at Jantar Mantar. Gandhi asserted that both boys and girls used abusive language at the event, but the Prime Minister only expressed shock regarding the girls. He claimed this suggests a mindset where boys are allowed to abuse while girls are expected to be controlled.

During his speech, Gandhi cited various statistics to illustrate the challenges facing women in India. He mentioned that 6% of women face rape and that 99% of sexual violence cases go unreported due to social stigma. He further categorized violence against women into three forms: physical violence, violence through the denial of opportunities, and economic violence. He claimed that 45% of girls drop out of school due to marriage or household responsibilities and that only 8% of women in India own property independently.

The event also touched upon local issues, including a request from a candidate for the Maharashtra Public Service Commission regarding paper leaks and a mention of tribal protests in Manjari. Outside the event, political tensions rose as the Shiv Sena criticized Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena UBT for welcoming Gandhi, calling him a Savarkar hater. Additionally, police booked NSUI workers following a confrontation with ABVP workers at a college hostel in Pune.