'Talks About Women's Empowerment But Opposes Reservation Bill': BJP Criticises Rahul's 'Chhatron ki Goonj'; Calls Him 'Immature'

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders have sharply criticised Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over his recent ‘Chhatron ki Goonj’ programme in Pune, accusing him of speaking about women’s empowerment while opposing concrete measures such as the Women’s Reservation Bill.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said the criticism directed at the central government during the ‘Chhatron ki Goonj’ programme was misplaced.

“Everyone knows who did what. I only want to say that today, as the Education Minister of the country, there has been a 44 per cent increase in enrolment in higher education. In the defence sector, our pilots and aeronautical engineers, when put together, are nearly 50 per cent women, and we are trying to provide 33 per cent reservation to women. Why are you opposing this, Mr Rahul Gandhi?” Joshi asked.

He further described Gandhi as “the most irresponsible, immature, part-time leader” who “does not understand anything.”

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis echoed the charge. Speaking after the closing ceremony of “Manthan 4 Yuva – Nagpur 2026,” Fadnavis said Gandhi talks about women’s empowerment on stage but has opposed the Women’s Reservation Bill, which he called the most revolutionary step for women’s rights.

“He does not want to ensure that women are given their rights,” Fadnavis claimed, using the Hindi idiom “haathi ke daant khane ke aur, dikhane ke aur” to suggest the Congress leader’s stance was all show and no substance.

Fadnavis also highlighted the scale of his own event, stating that 1.25 lakh people, including Gen Z and youth of Maharashtra, participated organically, with teams of drum players led by 585 flag bearers setting a new world record.

On Friday, Fadnavis had alleged that Gandhi’s Pune programme was not a genuine student gathering but a politically organised event designed to generate controversy and serve as a “re-launch.” He claimed social media influencers were paid ₹30,000 to attend or promote it, that attendees were told it was an event for which they would be compensated, and that instructions limited participation largely to female students from Congress-affiliated colleges.

BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj accused Rahul Gandhi of misleading the nation by making "absurd" statements.

"Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi possesses neither a vision nor a positive agenda; that is why he is attempting to mislead the nation by making such absurd statements... Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the guiding principle of empowering the nation through women-led development... I want to ask Rahul Gandhi: why did he and the Congress party—which champions the cause of women's empowerment—so vehemently oppose the Women Reservation Bill? If they truly advocate for women's empowerment, why did they vote against this Act in Parliament?... Rahul Gandhi wants the role of the country's women and the collective power of womanhood to remain confined merely to the polling booth," she said.

Gandhi had addressed the Pune leg of ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ on Saturday, focusing on women’s safety, rights and social control. He asserted that violence, disrespect and concerns framed as care can become tools of oppression, and that safety fears often deprive women of educational and employment opportunities.

In a separate development, posters depicting Gandhi as a “real-life Batman” with the tagline “The silent guardian, a watchful protector” appeared outside the Indian National Congress headquarters in Delhi. The imagery followed Gandhi’s light-hearted Instagram response earlier this month, when he quipped that no one had ever seen him and Batman in the same room.

The exchange stresses on the continuing political clash between the BJP and Congress over issues of women’s empowerment, reservation and the authenticity of youth outreach programmes.