Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday launched a sharp attack on Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over his recent remarks on the Manusmriti, accusing him of insulting India’s traditions and heritage and of “provoking” the country’s youth.
Speaking at a programme in Raebareli, where he inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for 346 development projects worth Rs 879 crore, Adityanath said Gandhi should refrain from making statements that could influence the younger generation in a manner he described as contrary to Indian traditions.
Gandhi, while interacting with girl students in Maharashtra on Saturday, had criticised what he called the “Manusmriti mindset”, urged women to “smash patriarchy” and asserted that women belonged to themselves rather than to their fathers, husbands or sons.
Responding to the remarks, Adityanath said Gandhi could choose whether or not to believe in the Manusmriti but should not make what he described as factually incorrect statements about it. He cited references to Manu in ancient Indian texts, including the Atharvaveda, Shatapatha Brahmana, Mahabharata and Matsya Purana, and questioned why Gandhi was “insulting” Manu.
Adityanath also claimed that the calendar system followed by Sanatanis originated with Manu and was not a contribution of Gandhi’s ancestors.
The Uttar Pradesh CM further widened his attack to the Congress and its allies, accusing them of having historically divided the country and society and of weakening social unity through what he described as a policy of appeasement. He also accused opposition parties of attempting to undermine India’s security and the identity of Uttar Pradesh and the country.
Turning his focus to Raebareli and Amethi, Adityanath criticised the Congress for what he described as decades of neglect despite the constituencies being represented by members of the Gandhi family and Congress leaders for long periods. He claimed the regions had earlier suffered from deprivation and that government welfare benefits had not adequately reached the poor.
The Chief Minister also targeted Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, accusing the party of being focused on family interests. He alleged that Congress and SP governments had failed to adequately address employment, electricity, welfare delivery and women’s safety.
Highlighting development under BJP governments, Adityanath pointed to the Modern Coach Factory in Raebareli. He said the facility, established in 2012 during the Congress-led UPA government, produced 2,106 coaches in 2025-26. He also said a complete Vande Bharat train set was rolled out from the factory for the first time in May 2026.
Adityanath further invoked former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s observation that only 15 paise of every rupee sent by the Centre reached intended beneficiaries, claiming that BJP governments had improved welfare delivery.
Reiterating his government’s “zero-tolerance” approach to crime, Adityanath said those compromising the safety of women and traders would face strict consequences.
