Rahul Gandhi at Pune: 'Main bhi nahi sudhar raha hoon', says women belong to themselves

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said he has faced abuse for years for questioning the government on issues it dislikes, but asserted that he would not be "straightened up".

Gandhi made the remarks while interacting with Bhojpuri singer Neha Rathore, known for her satirical songs criticising the government, during his party's youth outreach programme 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' in Pune.

Rathore said she had come to speak about the "disrespect" faced by women and asked what respect women would receive if they cannot question those in power.

"I question the government on all those issues which the government dislikes. In return, I have to receive a lot of abuses and FIRs. What kind of respect is there towards women? If we cannot question our prime minister in a democracy, what kind of respect would that be?" she asked.

Recalling an incident after her marriage when she had sung a satirical song in Uttar Pradesh, Rathore said police teams were sent after her and people in the region questioned her family about what kind of woman she was.

"As a woman, if you want to speak about some issues in society, it is very difficult. Men's trolling does take place, but women's trolling takes place in a very different way. They just assassinate her character," she said.

Rathore said she was "a little daring and stubborn" and did not get scared by the criticism.

"They tell me that they have been abusing me for the last five years, but still I have not straightened up. I want to tell them that I am not going to get straightened up," she said.

Responding to her remarks, Gandhi said he too had been receiving abuses for years but would not be deterred.

"I have also been receiving abuses for years, but I am also not getting straightened up," Gandhi said, echoing Rathore's words, "Main bhi nahi sudhar raha hoon".

Addressing the gathering, Gandhi said women do not belong to their fathers, husbands or sons but to themselves, and urged them to reject social restrictions and believe in their own abilities, media reports said.

He invoked the Manusmriti while speaking on women's autonomy, criticising the traditional notion that a woman should remain under the authority of male relatives throughout her life, the reports added.

"You belong to nobody, except yourself," Gandhi told the young women attending the programme.

Citing figures at the event, Gandhi claimed that 4.5 lakh female foeticides take place every year, while 80 per cent of women face harassment and 29 per cent experience physical violence, the reports said.

He claimed that 99 per cent of sexual violence cases go unreported because of social stigma, and that 60 per cent of women cannot leave their homes alone.

Gandhi said society uses different forms of violence to prevent women from progressing, identifying them as physical violence, denial of opportunities and economic violence.

Urging the audience to "break the cage", he said every individual was unique and had the right to pursue their own dreams and vision.

According to the organisers, nearly 15,000 women attended the event, which had the vibe of a rock concert. The organisers had invited singers and a rapper to ensure that the programme resonated with the Gen Z crowd.

As the Congress leader walked onto the stage at the AISSMS College Ground, the boisterous crowd gave him a rousing welcome, waving their phones with the torchlights on.

At the end, Gandhi was asked how he found Pune. He said, "Pune is prem (love)".

The BJP on Saturday dubbed the event "Paise Ki Goonj", alleging that the Congress had paid social media influencers to mobilise crowds.

BJP spokesperson Navnath Ban alleged that the Congress had spent nearly Rs 10 crore to buy attendance by paying up to Rs 35,000 per influencer for the programme, triggering a fiery response from the Opposition.

Union minister Murlidhar Mohol accused the Congress of paying people to attend the programme, and linked the matter to the party's decision to sing only two stanzas of Vande Mataram.

Congress leader Pawan Khera claimed there was a conspiracy to disrupt the Pune event and said there was anger among the youth against those in power.

(With inputs from PTI)