A group of Muslim women staged a protest outside the Congress headquarters in New Delhi on Wednesday, 27 August, demanding greater representation and respect from Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi. The demonstration drew sharp political responses from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which accused Gandhi of practising vote-bank politics while remaining silent on issues affecting Muslim women.

BJP's Accusations Against Rahul Gandhi

Union Minister Giriraj Singh, speaking to reporters, said Gandhi had been repeatedly 'exposed' and described the protest as further evidence of what he characterised as the Congress leader's hollow politics. 'Rahul Gandhi's face has been exposed many times, and Muslim women have exposed him again. You saw it when he met the youth, and now Muslim women have done it. Rahul Gandhi does vote-bank politics,' Singh said.

Singh also invoked the Shah Bano case, accusing the Gandhi family of a historical pattern of prioritising political expediency over Muslim women's rights. 'He does not speak about the freedom of Muslim women. Why would he say anything when his father changed the Supreme Court's judgment in the Shah Bano case?' Singh said.

BJP Spokesperson Targets Congress Record on Women

BJP National Spokesperson Guru Prakash questioned Gandhi's frequent references to patriarchy, pointing to what he described as Congress's own record on women leaders. He cited the cases of Kumari Selja, a Dalit politician from Haryana, and President Droupadi Murmu, a tribal woman who holds the country's highest constitutional position.

'When a Dalit woman like Kumari Selja wants to do politics in Haryana, you do not let her. And when a tribal woman occupies the highest Constitutional position, what did your leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury say about her?' Guru Prakash said. He also raised remarks Congress leaders had made about Maneka Gandhi, calling such comments unacceptable.

UP Minister Cites Triple Talaq Abolition

Uttar Pradesh Minister of State Dinesh Pratap Singh used the occasion to highlight the BJP-led Centre's abolition of the practice of Triple Talaq, crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi with restoring the dignity of Muslim women. He accused Gandhi of repeatedly attempting to 'malign India' and colluding with foreign forces to tarnish the country's image — claims Gandhi's party has consistently denied.

What the Protesting Women Said

One of the women who participated in the demonstration told reporters that their grievance was directed at the absence of Muslim women in Congress-led governments. 'Our (Congress) government is in Karnataka, but there is not a single woman Minister,' she said. The protesters clarified that they were not opposed to Gandhi per se, but sought genuine inclusion. 'We only want to say that he should not take the wrong meaning of Triple Talaq. We are strong and want him to do his work, include women, and include Muslim women as well,' she added.

The Congress party had not issued a formal response to the protest or the BJP's statements at the time of reporting. The episode adds to a broader political debate ahead of upcoming state elections over which party can credibly claim to represent the interests of Muslim women.