BJP's ideological texts see women as inferior: Maharashtra Congress chief

Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal on Wednesday said the BJP has “no right” to speak on women’s reservation and challenged the party to first reject what he described as its ideological foundations, including the Manusmriti.

Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, Sapkal alleged that the BJP’s ideology is rooted in texts that treat women as inferior. “The party should first burn Bunch of Thoughts and Manusmriti and then speak on women’s reservation. If it has the courage, it should appoint a woman as chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh,” he said.

Bunch of Thoughts, written by former RSS chief M.S. Golwalkar, is widely seen as a key ideological text of the RSS, outlining its views on nationhood, culture and social order. The Manusmriti, an ancient Sanskrit text, is often cited in debates on caste and gender, with critics arguing that certain verses reflect and legitimise hierarchical and patriarchal norms, while others view it as a historical document interpreted in different ways over time.

Sapkal also asked the BJP to clarify its position on women’s rights, invoking the historical treatment of Savitribai Phule when she started India’s first school for girls. Sapkal alleged that those who opposed her were linked to the same ideological stream he associates with the BJP.

Sapkal said the women’s reservation Bill had already been passed in Parliament in 2023 with support from all parties, and accused the BJP of politicising the issue rather than implementing it.

Referring to the defeat of the 131st Constitutional Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha last week, he said the proposed legislation was linked to delimitation and alleged that the BJP was attempting to alter India’s structure and “turn Mumbai and Maharashtra into a gaay-patta (cow belt)”.

The Congress leader said his party had historically led efforts on women’s empowerment, introducing 33 per cent reservation for women in local bodies and later increasing it to 50 per cent.

Sapkal also alleged that BJP workers had threatened journalists who filmed a viral video of a woman confronting BJP minister Girish Mahajan during a march in Worli over the women’s reservation issue. “After facing embarrassment, BJP workers are now threatening journalists who covered the protest. Neither Congress nor journalists should be intimidated by such threats,” he said.

He further claimed that remarks by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge were being misrepresented, after the BJP accused Kharge of calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “terrorist” during a press conference in poll-bound Tamil Nadu.

Sapkal said while the BJP has reportedly approached the Election Commission of India over Kharge’s remarks, the poll body should also take note of alleged actions by the BJP during elections in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Assam.

W