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Rahul Gandhi’s Message to Female Students in Pune: Break the Patriarchal Mindset, Claim Your Rights
Pune: Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, engaged in a direct dialogue with hundreds of female students at the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ (Voice of Students) event held in Pune. During the event, he sharply criticized the ‘Manusmriti’ mindset of the BJP and the Sangh, which seeks to confine women within the narrow roles of daughter, wife, and mother.
Rahul Gandhi said, “Keeping women under male control throughout their lives is a regressive mindset. This system attempts to cage women. However, the country’s 700 million women are India’s true strength, foundation, and future. Women do not need to prove their existence to anyone. They must break the shackles imposed by society and raise their voices for their rights.”
At the event, female students voiced grievances regarding irregularities in competitive exams, social pressure, safety concerns during travel, and systemic discrimination. Highlighting the MPSC paper leak, one student explained that the exam scheduled for March 22 was leaked on March 20 itself; despite the availability of evidence, the matter was suppressed, and the mastermind fled to Gujarat. Responding to this, Rahul Gandhi noted that while men often have opportunities until the age of 30–35, women face pressure to marry as early as 23 or 24. In such a scenario, paper leaks jeopardize their future.
Tribal female students raised issues regarding unhygienic hostel conditions, humiliating pregnancy tests conducted with suspicion, and the lack of timely medical aid following snakebites in Gadchiroli. A student from the cyber stream also highlighted the issue of blackmailing involving the creation of obscene morphed photos of girls using AI technology.
Citing the protests by female athletes, Rahul Gandhi criticized the ruling dispensation for its double standards. “When female athletes fighting at Jantar Mantar raise their voices, the Prime Minister suffers a ‘cultural shock.’ Men can do whatever they please, yet does culture come under threat only when girls speak up against injustice?” he asked. He further remarked that the statement by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat—claiming rapes occur in ‘India’ but not in ‘Bharat’—along with comments from BJP leaders blaming the victims themselves, are symptoms of a perverse, anti-women mindset.
Rahul Gandhi presented shocking statistics regarding the status of women in the country. Every year, approximately 4.5 lakh female fetuses are aborted. Eighty percent of women endure mental or physical harassment on the streets, at their workplaces, or while commuting. Ninety-nine percent of sexual assault incidents go unreported. Women receive 25 percent less pay for equal work. Only 8 percent of women possess independent assets, while 60 percent cannot step out of their homes alone.
Folk singer Neha Singh Rathore participated in the event and took aim at those in power through political satire songs. She noted that questioning the government often leads to women being trolled and facing criminal charges. In response, Rahul Gandhi mentioned that he, too, has been subjected to abuse and threats for years but remains unyielding.
Finally, encouraging young women, Rahul Gandhi said, “You are not anyone’s property. You are the masters of your own lives. Break through the labyrinth of control and fear created by patriarchal culture. Fight fearlessly for your rights. Smash the patriarchy; be loud, be proud!” Connecting emotionally with the people of Pune, he declared, “Pune means love.”
Pune: Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, engaged in a direct dialogue with hundreds of female students at the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ (Voice of Students) event held in Pune. During the event, he sharply criticized the ‘Manusmriti’ mindset of the BJP and the Sangh, which seeks to confine women within the narrow roles of daughter, wife, and mother.
Rahul Gandhi said, “Keeping women under male control throughout their lives is a regressive mindset. This system attempts to cage women. However, the country’s 700 million women are India’s true strength, foundation, and future. Women do not need to prove their existence to anyone. They must break the shackles imposed by society and raise their voices for their rights.”
At the event, female students voiced grievances regarding irregularities in competitive exams, social pressure, safety concerns during travel, and systemic discrimination. Highlighting the MPSC paper leak, one student explained that the exam scheduled for March 22 was leaked on March 20 itself; despite the availability of evidence, the matter was suppressed, and the mastermind fled to Gujarat. Responding to this, Rahul Gandhi noted that while men often have opportunities until the age of 30–35, women face pressure to marry as early as 23 or 24. In such a scenario, paper leaks jeopardize their future.
Tribal female students raised issues regarding unhygienic hostel conditions, humiliating pregnancy tests conducted with suspicion, and the lack of timely medical aid following snakebites in Gadchiroli. A student from the cyber stream also highlighted the issue of blackmailing involving the creation of obscene morphed photos of girls using AI technology.
Citing the protests by female athletes, Rahul Gandhi criticized the ruling dispensation for its double standards. “When female athletes fighting at Jantar Mantar raise their voices, the Prime Minister suffers a ‘cultural shock.’ Men can do whatever they please, yet does culture come under threat only when girls speak up against injustice?” he asked. He further remarked that the statement by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat—claiming rapes occur in ‘India’ but not in ‘Bharat’—along with comments from BJP leaders blaming the victims themselves, are symptoms of a perverse, anti-women mindset.
Rahul Gandhi presented shocking statistics regarding the status of women in the country. Every year, approximately 4.5 lakh female fetuses are aborted. Eighty percent of women endure mental or physical harassment on the streets, at their workplaces, or while commuting. Ninety-nine percent of sexual assault incidents go unreported. Women receive 25 percent less pay for equal work. Only 8 percent of women possess independent assets, while 60 percent cannot step out of their homes alone.
Folk singer Neha Singh Rathore participated in the event and took aim at those in power through political satire songs. She noted that questioning the government often leads to women being trolled and facing criminal charges. In response, Rahul Gandhi mentioned that he, too, has been subjected to abuse and threats for years but remains unyielding.
Finally, encouraging young women, Rahul Gandhi said, “You are not anyone’s property. You are the masters of your own lives. Break through the labyrinth of control and fear created by patriarchal culture. Fight fearlessly for your rights. Smash the patriarchy; be loud, be proud!” Connecting emotionally with the people of Pune, he declared, “Pune means love.”
Rahul Gandhi said, “Keeping women under male control throughout their lives is a regressive mindset. This system attempts to cage women. However, the country’s 700 million women are India’s true strength, foundation, and future. Women do not need to prove their existence to anyone. They must break the shackles imposed by society and raise their voices for their rights.”
At the event, female students voiced grievances regarding irregularities in competitive exams, social pressure, safety concerns during travel, and systemic discrimination. Highlighting the MPSC paper leak, one student explained that the exam scheduled for March 22 was leaked on March 20 itself; despite the availability of evidence, the matter was suppressed, and the mastermind fled to Gujarat. Responding to this, Rahul Gandhi noted that while men often have opportunities until the age of 30–35, women face pressure to marry as early as 23 or 24. In such a scenario, paper leaks jeopardize their future.
Tribal female students raised issues regarding unhygienic hostel conditions, humiliating pregnancy tests conducted with suspicion, and the lack of timely medical aid following snakebites in Gadchiroli. A student from the cyber stream also highlighted the issue of blackmailing involving the creation of obscene morphed photos of girls using AI technology.
Citing the protests by female athletes, Rahul Gandhi criticized the ruling dispensation for its double standards. “When female athletes fighting at Jantar Mantar raise their voices, the Prime Minister suffers a ‘cultural shock.’ Men can do whatever they please, yet does culture come under threat only when girls speak up against injustice?” he asked. He further remarked that the statement by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat—claiming rapes occur in ‘India’ but not in ‘Bharat’—along with comments from BJP leaders blaming the victims themselves, are symptoms of a perverse, anti-women mindset.
Rahul Gandhi presented shocking statistics regarding the status of women in the country. Every year, approximately 4.5 lakh female fetuses are aborted. Eighty percent of women endure mental or physical harassment on the streets, at their workplaces, or while commuting. Ninety-nine percent of sexual assault incidents go unreported. Women receive 25 percent less pay for equal work. Only 8 percent of women possess independent assets, while 60 percent cannot step out of their homes alone.
Folk singer Neha Singh Rathore participated in the event and took aim at those in power through political satire songs. She noted that questioning the government often leads to women being trolled and facing criminal charges. In response, Rahul Gandhi mentioned that he, too, has been subjected to abuse and threats for years but remains unyielding.
Finally, encouraging young women, Rahul Gandhi said, “You are not anyone’s property. You are the masters of your own lives. Break through the labyrinth of control and fear created by patriarchal culture. Fight fearlessly for your rights. Smash the patriarchy; be loud, be proud!” Connecting emotionally with the people of Pune, he declared, “Pune means love.”
