Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “cultural shock” remark regarding the abusive language used by female protesters during the recent protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, saying such a reaction reflected the patriarchal mindset that continues to control women in Indian society.Gandhi also invoked the Manusmriti while speaking about women’s independence, saying its prescriptions placed women under the control of their father, husband and son at different stages of their lives. (MAHENDRA KOLHE/ HT)Addressing female students at the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ programme in Pune, Gandhi said the country needed to “smash the prevailing patriarchy” that restricts women and prevents them from achieving their full potential.“I can understand the anger in society. There is a cultural shock over how our daughters could use such foul language....” Modi had said.Referring to the agitation over the alleged examination paper leaks, Gandhi said, “Framing the youth’s anger based on gender exposes a patriarchal attitude that avoids democratic accountability.”He said such attitudes needed to change and cited remarks attributed to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar on violence against women to argue that women continued to be blamed and controlled in Indian society.“Bhagwat had remarked that rapes take place in India and not in Bharat. Even Khattar had blamed women for the majority of the rapes that take place in our country. Our fight is to change this kind of mindset in the country that tries to control girls and women,” Gandhi said.Gandhi rejects ManusmritiGandhi also invoked the Manusmriti while speaking about women’s independence, saying its prescriptions placed women under the control of their father, husband and son at different stages of their lives. “These words are a shame and should not have been spoken. The country’s women are independent and forward-looking,” he said.He described India’s nearly 70 crore women as the country’s “greatest asset” and said their identities should not be confined to being wives, mothers or daughters. He also questioned why women should have to prove to men that they were capable of doing a job.Violence, discrimination on the riseGandhi cited figures on violence and discrimination against women, claiming that 4.5 lakh cases of female foeticide occur annually, 80% of women face some form of harassment and 29% face physical abuse. He further claimed that around half of women give up education or jobs because of family or societal pressure and that only 8% independently own property.“We do not want an India where females are suppressed. We want an India where there is equal respect for all, including the females of the country,” he said.Congress paid people to join event: BJPUnion minister Murlidhar Mohol accused the Congress of paying students and influencers to attend its youth outreach programme and said it would have little political impact in Pune.“For the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ programme, they brought people by paying them,” he said.“People of Pune have consistently voted based on actual work and development in every election and placed their trust in progress. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Pune has made significant progress, and its residents are well aware of this,” Mohol said.