3 Incidents of Female Party Workers Being Harassed

On Sunday, September 8, Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, spoke to the students of the University of Texas at Dallas in the United States and praised the Congress party saying that it respects women and gives them the power to do what they want when it comes to the future of the party. He said that Congress has always been a pro-women party.

Meanwhile, he also criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangha (RSS) for imposing restrictions on women. “This is the ideological battle between the BJP, RSS and the Congress. The BJP and the RSS believe that women should be restricted to a certain role. They should cook the food, not talk too much, right? And we believe that women should be encouraged to do what they want to do,” he said.

LIVE: Student Interaction | University of Texas | Dallas, USA https://t.co/b4dofNsEle

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 8, 2024

It is important to note that the Congress party, which Gandhi praised immensely for its respect for women, has recently been in the news for expelling women who have spoken negatively about the party and for exposing male Congress leaders for abusing them and disrespecting them.

Recently, on September 2, the Congress party in Kerala expelled its senior leader and PSC member Simi Rosebell John after he accused the Congress party of having a “casting couch” culture. Rosebell, in an interview with a regional news channel, alleged that women members are often forced to undergo exploitation to gain promotion within the party.

Rosebell also accused several Congress leaders of sexual harassment, including VD Satheesan. According to him, women could only ‘impress’ male leaders, often ignoring the requirements of competence and experience.

In the year 2023, the Congress party expelled the president of the Assam Pradesh Youth Congress, Angkita Dutta, from the primary membership of the Congress party on the pretext of allegations of anti-party activities. The decision was taken by the party after it filed a police complaint against IYC national president Srinivas BV, accusing him of intimidation.

In the year 2019 too, Priyanka Chaturvedi, one of the most vocal spokespersons of the Congress party, had resigned from all party posts and even from the primary membership of the party, saying that she could not work with the party at the cost of her self-esteem and dignity.

Chaturvedi was forced to resign after some Congress members misbehaved with her during a press conference. At that time, the employees were suspended but were reinstated after two days on the excuse that more hands were needed during the then upcoming elections. Chaturvedi said that though the Congress party claims to stand for empowerment, safety and dignity of women, this call was never reflected in the actions of some of its members.

While interacting with students at the University of Texas at Dallas in the US, Gandhi also said that one should concentrate and choose battles carefully. Gandhi advised that one should not raise every issue but focus on the fundamental ones.

Rahul Gandhi arrived in Dallas, Texas, on Sunday to begin his three-day tour of the United States. The Congress MP was received at the airport by Sam Pitroda, president of the Indian Overseas Congress, and members of the Indian community.