NEW DELHI, Oct 20: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Tuesday criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remarks describing the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as an “all male anti-constitutional cult”, accusing him of intellectual bankruptcy and political hypocrisy.
Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, made the comments in a post on X on the RSS’s foundation day, alleging that the organisation considers women the property of men.
“The RSS is an all male anti-constitutional cult that believes women are the property of men. I believe in Shiva-Shakti,” Gandhi wrote.
He added that his belief in Shiva-Shakti gave him joy in opposing the RSS, claiming that many women associated with the organisation supported his position.
Responding to the statement, VHP national spokesperson Vinod Bansal accused Gandhi of repeatedly making contradictory claims and questioned his assertion that women from the RSS were on his side.
In a post on X, Bansal referred to Gandhi’s earlier claims that government officials, police personnel, security forces and people within the government supported him. He questioned why, despite these alleged supporters, the Congress leader continued to campaign against the ruling establishment.
Bansal also accused Gandhi of invoking Hindu religious beliefs for political purposes. Referring to his latest remarks about Shiva-Shakti, the VHP spokesperson alleged that the Congress leader had adopted inconsistent positions on Hinduism and religious traditions.
He further questioned Gandhi’s stance on women’s participation in religious practices across different communities, raising issues concerning women’s access to prayer spaces and their representation in religious leadership.
Defending Hindu traditions, Bansal maintained that Hindu society venerates women and pointed to the presence of women in religious leadership positions, including Mahamandaleshwars.
The VHP spokesperson also referred to Gandhi’s legal status while criticising his comments about Hindu organisations and urged him to avoid using what he described as abusive language in future political exchanges.
The exchange highlights the continuing political disagreement between the Congress and the RSS, with Gandhi frequently criticising the organisation’s ideology and the VHP defending its positions against opposition allegations.
The remarks and the response have added another episode to the ongoing confrontation between the Congress leader and organisations associated with the broader Sangh Parivar.