BJP accuses Congress of double standard on women’s issues

BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj referred to Jharkhand Congress MLA Bhushan Bara, who has been accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old tribal girl. File | Photo Credit: ANI

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday (November 14, 2026) accused the Congress of following a double standard on the issue of women’s dignity, safety and empowerment by publicly advocating women’s rights while “remaining silent” on accusations of misconduct against its own leaders.

At a press conference, BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj referred to Jharkhand Congress MLA Bhushan Bara, who has been accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old tribal girl; MP Vimal Akoijam, who faces allegations of sexual harassment in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU); and Uttarakhand party leader Harak Singh Rawat, who was earlier accused of raping a woman from Assam.

The woman, who claimed that she became pregnant after the alleged abuse, has now demanded a DNA test on her son. The three Congress leaders have denied the accusations.

’Only slogans’

Ms. Swaraj questioned the “silence” of senior Congress leaders, saying that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP government was empowering women to become self-reliant and nation-builders, while the Congress was limited to raising slogans.

She alleged that the Congress continued to “repeatedly insult women”. “Tomorrow also marks the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda ji and Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas. On such an occasion, it is deeply shameful that Jharkhand Congress MLA Bhushan Bara is facing serious allegations of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old tribal girl,” she said.

“It is surprising that the Congress, which raises hollow slogans such as ‘Smash the Patriarchy’, along with its Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, has once again chosen to maintain silence on this matter,” she alleged.

“All these cases are distinct from one another, whether it is the rape of a tribal girl, the appointment of Vimal Akoijam as co-chairman of manifesto committee, or the appointment of Harak Singh Rawat as chairman of the election management committee in Uttarakhand. However, one thing is common to all these cases: the conspicuous silence of the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi,” she said.

Published - November 14, 2026 10:49 pm IST