Rahul Gandhi not champion of women's rights but Hindu baiter: Himanta

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, claiming that he is not a champion of women's rights but "simply a Hindu baiter". He alleged that Rahul Gandhi's idea of 'women's rights' continues to "begin and end with attacking Hinduism". In a post on X, Sarma wrote, Consider this: how many times has he spoken with the same outrage against patriarchal and medieval practices that persist under Sharia? NEVER."Questioning the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi's stance on religious and social reforms, the Assam CM said, "While Sharia is foundational to Islamic jurisprudence, Manusmriti has no comparable scriptural authority in Hindu Dharma. It is not even a universally binding code for Hindus." The Assam CM also criticised the Congress party's record on women's issues, alleging that its position on women's rights was inconsistent. "Cong rhetoric on women's rights rings hollow when measured against its own record.

Rahul Gandhi is NO champion of women’s rights. He is simply a Hindu baiter, using the cause of women’s empowerment as a convenient smokescreen to target and discredit Hindu Dharma.

Consider this: how many times has he spoken with the same outrage against patriarchal and medieval…

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) August 24, 2026

They betrayed our mothers and sisters by reversing the effect of the Shah Bano judgment. It opposed the law against Triple Talaq," he said. Sarma further alleged that Gandhi compromised on women's representation in Karnataka, saying, "Just to cling to power in Karnataka, Rahul Gandhi ensured that not a single woman found a place in the State Cabinet." Issuing a challenge to the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Sarma asked whether Gandhi would support a Uniform Civil Code if women's equality was his priority.