NEW DELHI (Diya TV) — Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of promoting gender inequality Tuesday, calling it an “all-male, anti-constitutional cult” and claiming women associated with the organization support his fight against it.
Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, made the remarks in a post on X. “I believe in Shiva-Shakti,” he wrote, adding that “many of their ‘own’ women are on my side.” He did not name the women or provide evidence for the claim.
The RSS’s published FAQ says Hindu men can join its shakhas and directs women to the Rashtra Sevika Samiti, a women’s organization founded in 1936 with objectives the RSS describes as the same as its own. The Samiti says it operates independently.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad, a separate Hindu organization, criticized Gandhi’s remarks. VHP spokesperson Vinod Bansal accused him of “intellectual bankruptcy” and challenged his claim that women associated with the RSS support him.
Gandhi’s latest comments come amid protests against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls and demands for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. Protesters and opposition parties allege the revision could benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party; the Election Commission has defended the process as an electoral-roll update. Police detained more than 2,000 people during a Delhi protest on Oct. 10, Reuters reported.
Gandhi accused Delhi Police and RSS-BJP supporters of attacking women and young protesters during the demonstrations. On Oct. 16, he alleged police had refused to register a complaint and named student activists Athira from Kerala and Ritu from Rajasthan among those he said officers beat. Kerala Police separately registered a “Zero FIR” over Athira’s complaint, allowing authorities to record an alleged offense outside their jurisdiction and forward it for investigation. The allegations have not been established by a court.
In another post, Gandhi named Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Kumar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, and urged protesters to continue. He wrote, “Arrest us all.”
Bhagwat addressed the RSS’s Vijayadashami gathering in Nagpur on Tuesday. He said protests can give voice to grievances but warned they can also become political tools that deepen divisions. He also urged governments to respect constitutional limits and address public concerns. The available reports do not establish that Bhagwat was responding directly to Gandhi’s post.
