Before discussing what BJP leader and MP Bansuri Swaraj said today at 1:40 p.m., first, let’s look at what she said when she was asked during the press conference about yesterday’s viral video of the new Parliament building, which showed water flooding into the building. She said that the video was fake news. She made the statement after Pradeep Bhandari, the National Media Co-Convenor, slowly prompted her to respond to the question by calling it fake news.
So, following her “fake news” response, a question arises: If the video was indeed fake news, then shouldn’t the Government of India take action against those who shared the fake video or fake news on social media?
So, let’s talk about the BJP’s press conference at 1:40 p.m., which took place at the BJP’s national headquarters. During the press conference, Bansuri Swaraj, on behalf of the BJP, slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his “smash the patriarchy” remark. She alleged that he had reduced himself to “memes and reels” and questioned his record on women’s empowerment.
The remarks came after Gandhi on Saturday criticised the “Manusmriti mindset” and urged girl students to “smash patriarchy”, while also taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his comment that he was shocked to hear girls using abusive language during the July 2026 protest at Jantar Mantar.
Interacting with girl students at his ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ outreach programme in Pune, Gandhi, who is also the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, said women belonged to themselves and not to their fathers, husbands or sons. He also termed shameful the Manusmriti’s prescription that a woman should remain under the authority of male relatives at every stage of her life.
Ever since Gandhi’s remarks, the BJP has stepped up its attack on him. Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, BJP leader and MP Bansuri Swaraj said Gandhi is attempting to create a “false narrative”. She alleged that he has neither a vision nor a positive agenda.
“Rahul Gandhi ji has neither a vision nor any positive agenda. Therefore, whatever his research team writes on a slip of paper and gives him, he uses it to mislead the youth and the country’s voters.
“This does not befit the Leader of Opposition. It appears that Rahul Gandhi now makes statements only for memes and reel value,” she told reporters.
Swaraj also attacked Gandhi over his alleged remarks concerning Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and said they were unbecoming of a Leader of the Opposition.
“On August 22, Rahul Gandhi made this smash-the-patriarchy statement on stage in Pune. And just 10 days ago, he and (son of former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit) Sandeep Dikshit participated in a very cheap joke against a woman prime minister: Meloni ji, the sitting prime minister of our friendly country Italy,” Swaraj said.
“It was almost like you were overhearing boys talking in a locker room. He was actually resorting to cheap innuendos. He was resorting to sensationalism for nothing but traction on social media,” she added.
Citing alleged objectionable remarks by several Congress leaders against women, Swaraj accused Gandhi and his party of hypocrisy.
