- Rahul Gandhi supported Kriti Sanon amid criticism of her Raksha Bandhan ad outfit, including by Kangana Ranaut
- Gandhi condemned trolling of women for their clothing choices and used #SmashThePatriarchy
- Kriti Sanon said festival emotions matter more than clothes in her response to critics
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday backed actor Kriti Sanon as she faced caustic comments, including a post from BJP MP and actor Kangana Ranaut, over her outfit in a Raksha Bandhan jewellery advertisement. "What a woman wears, what she does and where she goes - is her choice," the Congress MP wrote in an Instagram Story sharing Sanon's own response to the trolling.
"Stop trolling women for exercising their freedom," Gandhi further wrote, appending the hashtag #SmashThePatriarchy that he deployed recently at his all-woman 'Chhatron ki Goonj' rally at Pune.
Rahul Gandhi's reaction in his Instagram Stories
The intervention landed Gandhi into a dispute that began as a social media argument over a brand campaign and escalated on Monday evening when Ranaut criticised Sanon's attire in the advertisement, writing, "... from all the options that are available to us today why would you tie your brother a Rakhi in your bikini/ undergarments?"
She described the campaign as "intentionally creepy".
Sanon responded on Tuesday without naming Ranaut: "The essence of festivals is not in the clothes you wear, it is in the emotions and meaning you hold for the traditions." This was the statement that Gandhi shared.
"Also, when will we stop telling women what to wear?? Ethnic fashion has evolved over the years, but still a woman's respect for her culture is measured with just her clothes!! Culture & Traditions are in her heart, not in her neckline!" Sanon posted, adding, "Rakshabandhan is a bond of protection. My sister and I tie rakhi to each other. We know we can protect each other no less than a brother would have. We pray for each other's health, happiness & long life. And for us, this prayer and promise extends to our dogs too! Afterall, they are family!"
The actor's sister, Nupur Sanon, also responded to Ranaut's remarks: "Imagine being this bothered by what another woman chooses to wear. Respectfully, evolve."
The advertisement, for jewellery brand GIVA, features Sanon in an off-white ensemble comprising a blouse, a cape, and a draped skirt. A section of social media users said the styling was unsuitable for a campaign built around a traditional festival. The campaign also drew criticism for a sequence in which Sanon ties a rakhi to a dog after it barks at her.
Kangana Ranaut, who represents Himachal Pradesh's Mandi segment in the Lok Sabha, separately named Taapsee Pannu, Rakhi Sawant, Sonu Sood and Ashutosh Rana in a series of posts on Monday responding to past comments about her.
