Allegations of Double Standards: Opposition Slams PM Modi and BJP on Women’s Issues Amid Bihar Controversy
Patna, September 4, 2025 — As Bihar prepares for its high-stakes assembly elections in November 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) face mounting accusations of double standards on women’s empowerment and respect for mothers, triggered by a controversial incident during the opposition’s Voter Adhikar Yatra. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, and other INDIA bloc parties have seized on the BJP’s response to derogatory remarks against Modi’s late mother to highlight what they call a pattern of hypocrisy in the party’s approach to women’s rights and safety. From defending accused perpetrators to inconsistent policy outcomes, the opposition alleges that the BJP’s rhetoric on “Nari Shakti” (women’s power) masks a deeper failure to deliver justice and equality. The BJP, in turn, defends its record, citing transformative welfare schemes and accusing the opposition of politicizing a personal insult. The controversy has intensified the electoral battle in Bihar, raising critical questions about gender politics in India.
The Darbhanga Incident: A Catalyst for Controversy
The current row erupted on August 27, 2025, during the Congress-led Voter Adhikar Yatra in Darbhanga, Bihar, a 16-day, 1,300-km march protesting alleged voter roll manipulation by the Election Commission of India (ECI). A youth, identified as a Congress worker, was recorded using abusive language against PM Modi and his late mother, Heeraben Modi, who passed away in December 2022 at age 100. The video, showing the individual draped in a Congress flag on a stage adorned with posters of Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, went viral on X, prompting outrage from the BJP.
On September 2, 2025, Modi addressed the incident during a virtual rally in Bihar, calling the remarks an “insult to the mothers, sisters, and daughters of India.” He framed the attack on his mother, a non-political figure, as emblematic of the opposition’s disregard for cultural values, urging Bihar’s voters to “teach them a lesson” in the upcoming elections. The BJP filed an FIR against Rahul Gandhi in Patna, and the accused youth was arrested on August 28, later issuing a public apology. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi demanded apologies from Gandhi and Yadav, with Sarangi stating on X, “The opposition’s mindset disrespects women and exploits them for votes.”
The opposition, however, has used the incident to accuse Modi and the BJP of selective outrage, pointing to a series of cases where the party allegedly failed to uphold women’s dignity or deliver on its promises of empowerment. RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, in a fiery response on September 3, 2025, highlighted an instance where the BJP’s Bihar assembly whip allegedly abused his mother, former Chief Minister Rabri Devi, with Modi reportedly praising the offender. “Where was this respect for mothers when Manipur’s women were paraded naked under BJP rule?” Yadav asked, referencing the 2023 ethnic violence in Manipur that shocked the nation.
Opposition’s Case: A Pattern of Hypocrisy
The opposition’s allegations center on what they describe as the BJP’s inconsistent stance on women’s issues, citing specific cases and policy shortcomings to argue that the party’s outrage is politically motivated:
Protection of Accused Perpetrators: The opposition points to high-profile cases where BJP leaders allegedly shielded individuals accused of crimes against women. In the 2017 Unnao rape case, BJP legislator Kuldeep Singh Sengar was accused of raping a minor, with the party initially defending him until public pressure led to his expulsion in 2019. The 2018 Kathua gang rape and murder of an eight-year-old Muslim girl saw BJP leaders in Jammu and Kashmir join rallies supporting the accused, framing the case as communally motivated. In the 2020 Hathras gang rape of a 19-year-old Dalit woman, the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government was criticized for mishandling the investigation and cremating the victim’s body without family consent. Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate, on September 3, 2025, asked, “Why does Modi’s heart bleed only for his mother and not for the daughters of Unnao, Kathua, and Hathras?”
Manipur Violence: The 2023 ethnic clashes in Manipur, where two Kuki women were paraded naked and assaulted, remain a focal point of criticism. The incident, captured on video, drew global condemnation, yet the opposition alleges that the BJP-led central and state governments delayed action against the perpetrators. CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat, in a September 1, 2025, statement, accused Modi of “crocodile tears,” noting that the Prime Minister did not visit Manipur or address the violence directly for months. A 2024 Amnesty International report documented ongoing impunity in the state, fueling opposition claims of neglect.
Policy Gaps and Underfunding: The BJP’s flagship schemes for women, such as Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) and Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, have faced scrutiny for poor implementation. A 2023 investigation by The Wire revealed that BBBP, launched in 2015 to improve sex ratios and promote girls’ education, allocated 68% of its ₹710 crore budget to advertising, with only marginal improvements in sex ratios in targeted districts (from 918 to 929 girls per 1,000 boys between 2015 and 2022). The Ujjwala scheme, providing LPG connections to poor women, saw 9.6% of beneficiaries take no refills and 56.5% take fewer than four in 2022–23, per a government audit, due to rising cylinder costs. RJD’s Shivanand Tiwari told NDTV on September 2, 2025, “Modi’s schemes are more about headlines than helping women.”
Stalled Legislative Reforms: The Women’s Reservation Bill, which would reserve 33% of seats in Parliament and state assemblies for women, remains unpassed despite the BJP’s parliamentary majority from 2014 to 2024. The bill, cleared by the Rajya Sabha in 2010, has been repeatedly delayed, with critics like Congress MP Sonia Gandhi accusing the BJP of lacking commitment. The party’s opposition to criminalizing marital rape, citing “Indian cultural values,” has also drawn fire. A 2018 Al Jazeera report noted Modi’s silence on the issue, even as 32% of Indian women reported domestic violence in a 2021 National Family Health Survey.
Communal Framing of Women’s Issues: The BJP’s campaign against “love jihad,” a controversial narrative alleging Muslim men lure Hindu women into marriage for conversion, has been criticized for undermining women’s agency. Uttar Pradesh’s 2020 anti-conversion law, which targets interfaith marriages, led to over 900 arrests by 2023, with 80% of cases involving consensual relationships, per a Human Rights Watch report. Activist Kavita Krishnan, in a September 2025 Jacobin article, argued that such policies “reduce women to pawns in communal politics,” citing incidents like the 2018 Baghpat assault on Muslim brothers over a Hindu-Muslim marriage, where BJP leaders remained silent.
BJP’s Defense: Championing Nari Shakti
The BJP has robustly defended its record, framing Modi as a leader committed to women’s empowerment through transformative policies and cultural reverence for women. Key points include:
Welfare Schemes: The BJP highlights schemes like Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, where 75% of 4 crore houses built by 2024 are registered in women’s names, and Jan Dhan Yojana, which has brought 61% of women into formal banking, per a 2023 Ministry of Finance report. The Ujjwala scheme has provided 9.6 crore LPG connections, reducing health risks from traditional fuels. In Bihar, the NDA’s recent ₹105 crore allocation for the Bihar Rajya Jeevika Nidhi Saakh Sahkari Sangh Limited, announced on September 2, 2025, aims to empower women through self-help groups, with Modi emphasizing its role in creating “Lakhpati Didis” (women earning ₹1 lakh annually).
Legislative Achievements: The 2019 criminalization of triple talaq, allowing Muslim men to divorce instantly, is touted as a landmark reform for Muslim women’s rights. Modi personally championed the law, passed despite opposition from Congress and others, with BJP leaders claiming it liberated millions from discriminatory practices. However, critics like the All India Muslim Personal Law Board argue it was a politically motivated move to polarize voters.
Women in Leadership: The BJP points to prominent women leaders like Nirmala Sitharaman, Smriti Irani, and former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj as evidence of its commitment to gender representation. A 2019 post on narendramodi.in highlighted nine women in the Council of Ministers, with two in the Cabinet Committee on Security, a historic first. However, the opposition notes that only 12% of BJP’s 2019 Lok Sabha candidates were women, compared to 14% for Congress.
Countering Opposition Claims: BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi, on September 3, 2025, accused the opposition of “cheap politics” by dragging Modi’s late mother into the fray. The party claims opposition-ruled states like West Bengal have worse records on women’s safety, citing 2021 NCRB data showing 34,000 cases of crimes against women in West Bengal versus 17,000 in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh. Trivedi also defended the BJP’s handling of Manipur, noting that over 500 arrests were made and a judicial inquiry ordered in 2023.
Public Sentiment and Electoral Stakes
On X, the debate is polarized. BJP supporters, using hashtags like #NariShakti and #ModiForWomen, praise initiatives like Ujjwala and Jeevika, with @BJP4India posting on September 2, 2025, that “Modi ji’s schemes have empowered crores of women.” Conversely, opposition voices like @SaketGokhale and @ANDHILLON_45 have shared threads alleging BJP’s “double standards,” citing Manipur and Kathua as proof of inaction. A post by @nit_set on August 30, 2025, questioned why Modi did not condemn derogatory remarks by BJP leaders against opposition women figures like Sonia Gandhi or Priyanka Vadra.
In Bihar, where women constitute 49% of the 78.9 million voters, the controversy is a key electoral issue. The BJP is leveraging the Darbhanga incident to appeal to women voters, emphasizing cultural values and schemes like Drone Didi and Lakhpati Didi. The opposition, however, is focusing on unemployment (23% among Bihar’s youth, per a 2024 CMIE survey) and voter suppression to counter the BJP’s narrative. A 2024 ORF study noted that women voters in Bihar prioritize economic issues over cultural rhetoric, which could challenge the BJP’s strategy.
Expert Analysis
Political analysts offer contrasting views. Nalin Mehta, in a 2023 BBC article, argued that Modi’s women-centric schemes have expanded the BJP’s female voter base, with women outvoting men in 16 states in 2019. However, Sanjay Ruparelia, in a 2024 DW interview, contended that the BJP’s patriarchal roots, tied to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), limit its commitment to gender equality, favoring symbolic gestures over structural reforms. A 2022 Peoples Democracy report linked the RSS’s advocacy of traditional gender roles, rooted in Manu Smriti, to the BJP’s reluctance to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill or criminalize marital rape.
The 2021 NCRB data showing a rise in crimes against women—from 56.3 per 100,000 population in 2014 to 66.4 in 2022—has fueled opposition claims of systemic failure. Yet, the BJP argues that increased reporting reflects greater awareness, partly due to its campaigns like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao.
Looking Ahead
As Bihar’s elections loom, the controversy over the BJP’s stance on women is set to dominate the campaign. The opposition aims to consolidate anti-BJP sentiment by highlighting alleged hypocrisy, while the BJP will lean on its welfare record and the emotional appeal of the Darbhanga incident to mobilize voters. The outcome will depend on whether voters prioritize the BJP’s development narrative or the opposition’s critique of selective justice. For now, the debate underscores a deeper tension in Indian politics: reconciling rhetorical commitments to women’s empowerment with tangible progress on safety, representation, and equality.
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