‘You are insulting India’s heritage, provoking youth’: Yogi Adityanath targets Rahul Gandhi over Manusmriti remark

Targeting Gandhi in his Lok Sabha constituency, Adityanath referred to the girl who made an “objectionable remark” against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Jantar Mantar protests in New Delhi who later apologised.

“She and her parents apologised within a week,” he quipped.

#WATCH | Raebareli: Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath says, “Recently, I was reading a statement made by the Member of Parliament from Raebareli, Rahul Gandhi. He made a statement in Maharashtra urging women to break free from the shackles of the Manusmriti. Rahul ji, the country… pic.twitter.com/vXiLbs6FWz

— ANI (@ANI) August 24, 2026

The Chief Minister added, “You (Gandhi) may or may not believe in Manusmriti, but do not state things which are factually incorrect. You tell daughters to come out of Manusmriti. Manu finds praise in the Atharvaveda, Shatapatha Brahmana, Mahabharata and Matsya Purana. Why do you insult him?”

The calendar system followed by every Sanatani was not given by Rahul Gandhi’s forefathers but by Manu, he said.

“The Congress divided the country and society, strangled the Constitution and then, by following a policy of appeasement, sought to weaken India’s social unity with the help of foreign money,” he alleged.

Referring to SP president Akhilesh Yadav as “Babua”, which he often does, Adityanath said Yadav made a statement claiming their party did not split because five MPs belonged to his family only. “He does not consider the remaining MPs capable of anything,” he said.

The Congress, SP and their allies are trying to undermine India’s security and the identity of the state as well as the country, the CM said.

On the Raebareli constituency, Adityanath said earlier people called it a “VIP district and parliamentary constituency”.

“But the region still suffered from neglect, disorder and deprivation, and the poor were deprived of the benefits of government schemes. Raebareli and Amethi have been means of securing a vote bank for Rahul Gandhi. He criticizes Uttar Pradesh outside the state and India outside the country. He puts soldiers in the dock and misleads the youth, but the youth will not be misled,” he claimed.

“The Congress and its leaders, he added, represented Raebareli and Amethi for the longest time but did not honour the heroes of India’s freedom struggle. The Congress and the Samajwadi party respect only their families. Every goon in the state, district, region or town finds himself ideologically close to the SP,” the CM alleged.

But now, Raebareli transformed under the BJP-led governments, he claimed, adding that its name is now being taken with pride not only in Uttar Pradesh but across the country

Taking a swipe at successive Congress governments, Adityanath referred to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi’s widely cited observation that only 15 paise of every rupee sent by the Centre reached the intended beneficiaries. “This was because the remaining money was siphoned off by people associated with the Congress and Samajwadi Party,” Adityanath said, while claiming that the BJP governments had ensured greater delivery of welfare schemes to the poor.

The Chief Minister highlighted the modern coach factory in Raebareli as an example of the district’s changing industrial profile. He said the factory, established in 2012 during the Congress-led UPA era, produced 2,106 coaches in 2025-26 under his government, describing it as a “record production” figure.

Adityanath said for the first time, a complete Vande Bharat train set was rolled out from the modern coach factory in May 2026, aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision.

Development was essential for creating jobs, increasing farmers’ incomes and supporting workers and artisans, Adityanath said. He credited the BJP governments for accelerating development in Raebareli and urged people to support the process.

“You cannot bring development. You have no interest in the development of Raebareli. As a responsible leader, you should conduct yourself in a manner that sets an example before the people.

“For the longest period, Congress and people supported by Congress have represented Raebareli and Amethi, but they never worked to honour the revolutionaries and heroes who fought for India’s freedom. They believe honour should be reserved for only one family and it is only their family,” Adityanath said.

He said the earlier governments deprived youth of jobs, restricted electricity and welfare benefits, occupied poor people’s land and compromised women’s safety. “But UP has changed today. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, we are seeing a new Uttar Pradesh,” he said.

Adityanath said his government followed a zero-tolerance policy towards crime, adding, “If anyone compromises the safety of daughters and traders, there will be only two places for them: Either jail or hell. There is no third place.” — PTI inputs