BJP MLA Ram Kadam of Maharashtra slammed Gandhi's post as "ill‑informed" and pointed out that RSS already runs a women’s wing across the country.
The RSS’s Mahila Samiti, established in 1973, reports to the central leadership and has over 30,000 women volunteers nationwide, according to the organisation’s own data.
Rahul Gandhi, who has repeatedly decried the RSS’s patriarchal stance, said earlier this year that the Manusmriti perpetuates gender bias, echoing his "Smash the Patriarchy" slogan from Pune.
BJP chief N Ramchander Rao has demanded that Gandhi explain how many women hold top posts in his party, while calling his remarks hypocritical.
The party’s spokesperson said it will file a defamation case if Gandhi does not withdraw the statement, setting the stage for a legal showdown.
In a nearby village, 27‑year‑old Priya Sharma said the RSS’s women’s wing taught her Hindi and computer skills, underscoring how the organisation’s gender narrative plays out on the ground.