Coming down heavily on the BJP after its Gujarat unit president made an "indecent remark" on Congress MP Geniben Thakor, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said its mask of "Nari Vandana" is off, exposing the saffron party's "anti-women and Manuwadi" mindset.

In a post on X in Hindi, Rahul Gandhi said, "The mask of 'Nari Vandana' is off. This isn't just shameful – it reveals the real face of the BJP's Manuwadi, anti-women ideology."

The row stems from a remark made by Gujarat BJP chief Jagdish Vishwakar, who told a gathering in Banaskantha on Thursday that the BJP had taken control of the district panchayat after 30 years from the "pallo" of Thakor's sari.

Questioning the BJP's commitment towards women's empowerment, Rahul Gandhi asked, "Is this the way BJP worships women? Will they empower women? Will they grant them rights?"

"They can't tolerate women challenging the establishment – their distorted mindset is revealed in an instant," the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha added.

He also claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, "frightened" by questions posed by women MPs from the Congress, has already fled Parliament.

"Modi himself says, 'Women forget everything, but never forget their insults'. But the BJP itself has forgotten this. The anti-women BJP should remember that women across India, including Gujarat, will give a befitting reply to every insult inflicted on them," the Congress leader said.

His sister and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also slammed the Gujarat BJP chief's "vulgar" remarks against Thakor, terming them "extremely shameful" and "insulting".

In a post on X in Hindi, Priyanka Gandhi said, "On one hand, the BJP government insults women by making baseless allegations against them even in Parliament, and on the other hand, its leaders insult women by making vulgar remarks. The BJP always protects such individuals."

"This is the reality of the anti-women BJP's political 'Nari Vandana'. @GenibenThakor, I know your struggle and stand with you. We are all proud of your courage," she added.

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