Kangana Ranaut's "Bro, Wait" Post To Rahul Gandhi's "Smash Patriarchy" Call

Let's start with "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" was BJP MP Kangana Ranaut's response to Rahul Gandhi's "smash the patriarchy" call.

The post featured an image of Rahul Gandhi asking a woman to "smash the patriarchy", to which she responds, "Bro, wait. Bharat Mata ki jai shuru karte hain."

Gandhi had also employed the phrase to blunt the attack on actor Kriti Sanon, who faced online criticism over her outfit - an ivory lehenga featuring a deep-neck blouse and a cape - in a Rakshabandhan commercial for a jewellery brand. 

Ranaut, the BJP MP from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, termed Sanon's outfit "intentionally creepy" while others said it was "vulgar".

"When will we stop telling women what to wear," Sanon asked on Tuesday after finding herself in the crosshairs of controversy over the Rakhi ad.

In an Instagram story, Gandhi tagged Sanon's response and said, "What a woman wears, what she does and where she goes --" is her choice." "Stop trolling women for exercising their freedom," he said, using the hashtag "smash the patriarchy".

Meanwhile, the jewellery brand, GIVA, has withdrawn the advertisement after it drew concerns, saying that hurting religious or cultural sentiments was never its intention.

BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj also launched a scathing attack on Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, citing multiple instances where she alleged the Congress leader failed to condemn insulting remarks against women. 

"Rahul Gandhi was silent when abusive words were used against Kangana Ranaut. Also, once a derogatory comment was made against Hema Malini, but not a single statement came from Rahul Gandhi. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury used disrespectful words against the President of India, and several Congress leaders have spoken against women, yet Rahul Gandhi remained silent, and now he is talking about smashing the patriarchy. I want to ask Rahul Gandhi, why is there not a single woman leader in Karnataka and Himachal? Why did he oppose the Women's Reservation Bill? And you are talking about women empowerment?" Swaraj told reporters.

The exchange in the post, shared by Ranaut, continues with Rahul Gandhi repeatedly urging the woman to "smash the patriarchy'", while she raises several issues, including the Women's Reservation Bill, triple talaq, the Shah Bano case and the absence of a woman minister in Karnataka, which is ruled by the Congress.

The controversy over Gandhi's "smash the patriarchy" remark began after his comments at the "Chhatron Ki Goonj" event in Pune on August 22.