Rahul Gandhi in Pune: ‘Manusmriti calls a woman her father’s, husband’s, children’s property’ — student says girls made to take pregnancy tests if away from home over a month
At ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ interaction, Congress leader tells thousands of young women to be ‘loud, proud and fight for themselves’; cites data showing only 8% of Indian women own property independently
By NewsArc Bureau | Pune
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi told a gathering of students in Pune on Saturday that India’s daughters must be free, arguing that a woman’s identity should not be defined solely through her relationships with her father, husband or son.
Addressing the “Chhatron Ki Goonj” programme, attended by more than 15,000 young women, Gandhi said the Manusmriti holds that a woman is the property of her father, then her husband, and later her children — a framing he called shameful. Women, he said, are not dependent on anyone.
He cited data claiming only 8% of women in the country independently own property, which he linked to a broader pattern of physical, financial and social control over women.
STUDENT’S PREGNANCY-TEST CLAIM
The event took an unexpected turn when a young woman on stage told Gandhi that in Gadchiroli, students who stay away from home for more than a month are made to undergo pregnancy tests before being allowed to return. She said that when questioned, the administration justifies the practice by claiming officials are merely checking whether the student contracted a serious illness while away.
‘MINDSET OF THE MANUSMRITI’
Responding to the account, Gandhi said such practices stem from what he called “the mindset of the Manusmriti” — a mindset aimed at suppressing women. He played video clips of statements attributed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat under the title “Manusmriti is back.”
He also referred to remarks by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar linking incidents of sexual violence to women’s conduct, calling it a mindset that seeks to confine women while granting men complete freedom. “We don’t want that kind of India,” he said, urging the young women present to shed their fears.
‘BE LOUD, BE PROUD’
Gandhi told the gathering that India’s strength lies not in its military but in the dreams and ideas of its 700 million young people. He said patriarchy tries to frighten, suppress and control women, and called on them to resist it collectively. “Be loud, be proud, and fight for yourself,” he said.
He also spoke about double standards around language, noting that both men and women had used strong language during a protest at Jantar Mantar, but only the women’s conduct was singled out as a “cultural shock” — behaviour he said was allowed for men but frowned upon for women.
TIME, MARRIAGE AND DROPOUT RATES
Citing further data, Gandhi said a 29-year-old woman spends hours on domestic work compared to roughly half an hour by a young man, and that men face no restriction on when they can step out of the house at night, unlike women. He said many young women are told to stop studying once they reach “marriageable age,” while men face no such constraint on pursuing multiple exams or qualifications.
He added that 60% of women cannot step out of their homes alone and must be accompanied, while 45% drop out of education for marriage or housework — describing the 8% property-ownership figure as the “final lock” limiting women’s independence.
FOLK SINGER NEHA RATHORE SPEAKS OUT
Bhojpuri folk singer Neha Rathore also took the stage, saying that questioning the government through her songs has repeatedly invited FIRs against her. She recounted police visiting her home after she sang a song critical of the Uttar Pradesh government, and described how women who speak out are typically targeted through character-based trolling rather than direct rebuttal.
PART OF A LARGER OUTREACH
The Pune interaction follows similar sessions Gandhi has held with students in Kota on June 17, Dehradun on July 17, and Prayagraj on August 8, where he raised concerns about examination paper leaks and the state of India’s education system.
