Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati on Thursday, 27 August issued a sharp warning to the Indian National Congress, threatening to launch a campaign urging Hindus to boycott the party at the ballot box if Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi did not apologise for his repeated remarks on the Manusmriti. The statement was made in Bemetara, Chhattisgarh, and marks an escalation in the religious leader's public criticism of Gandhi.

The Warning and Its Conditions

Swami Avimukteshwaranand was unequivocal in laying out the consequences. 'Rahul Gandhi is repeatedly insulting our religious texts. This is absolutely wrong. If he continues to do this and does not apologise, then we will run a campaign. We will urge Hindus to reject the Congress Party and never vote for it,' he said.

The Shankaracharya stressed that disrespect towards Hindu scriptures was non-negotiable regardless of political affiliation. 'Whether it is the BJP, Congress or anyone else in this country or anywhere in the world, no one can insult our religious texts. This will not be accepted,' he added.

The Specific Allegation Against Gandhi

At the centre of the dispute is a claim Gandhi reportedly made in Parliament, in which he allegedly stated that the Manusmriti contains passages promoting rape. Swami Avimukteshwaranand flatly denied that any such sentiment appears in the text. 'Rahul Gandhi repeatedly speaks against the Manusmriti and attributes statements to it that are not actually mentioned in the text,' he said.

The Shankaracharya claimed that a formal letter was sent to Gandhi asking him to identify the specific passage supporting his assertion, but that no response was received. 'We wrote to him asking him to tell us where it is written, but he did not respond. We asked him repeatedly, but he still did not tell us,' he said. He added that the letter had since been made public and that further action remained an option.

Nuance in the Criticism

Notably, Swami Avimukteshwaranand was careful to separate his criticism of Gandhi's remarks from personal animosity. 'We are not enemies of Rahul Gandhi or any other leader of this country. Rahul Gandhi has sometimes said good things. The way he shows determination and has been struggling for such a long time — whenever he says something good, we have supported his good deeds despite facing opposition from people,' he said.

This distinction is significant: the Shankaracharya framed his objection as a defence of scripture rather than a partisan political attack, though the threatened electoral campaign would carry direct political consequences for the Congress.

The Manusmriti Debate

The Manusmriti — an ancient Sanskrit legal text — has long been a flashpoint in Indian public discourse, with critics arguing it codifies caste and gender hierarchies, and defenders contending it is frequently misread or misquoted. Swami Avimukteshwaranand defended one provision attributed to the text concerning a father's duty to protect a newborn daughter, arguing it reflected a principle of care rather than subjugation.

'The word 'Raksha' is there, but the word 'Bandhan' is not there,' he said, questioning who would assume protective responsibility for a newborn girl if such principles were discarded. He argued that rejecting the text outright, without engaging with its actual content, amounted to misrepresentation.

What Happens Next

The Shankaracharya indicated that the situation remained open-ended: an apology from Gandhi would close the matter, while continued silence or further remarks could trigger the threatened voter-outreach campaign. With assembly elections in several states on the horizon, a sustained campaign by a prominent religious figure carries potential political weight that the Congress will likely need to address.