Consider it your birthright to denounce India's heritage: Yogi Adityanath slams Rahul Gandhi over Manusmriti remarks

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. File | Photo Credit: PTI

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday (August 24, 2026) in Raebareli hit out at the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of denouncing India’s traditions and heritage.

“Rahul Gandhi has taken an oath to uphold the Constitution, yet considers it his ‘birthright’ to criticise India’s traditions and heritage.”

“Rahul Gandhi goes outside Uttar Pradesh and defames and insults the State and goes outside India to insult the country. The Indian Army fights enemies on the borders, while Rahul Gandhi asks soldiers for proof. His party, Congress, has questioned the existence of Lord Ram in Ayodhya,” said Mr. Adityanath, addressing a gathering during a commemorative ceremony held on the 222nd birth anniversary of Avadh Kesari Rana Beni Madhav Baksh Singh, the icon of the First War of Independence of 1857.

Reacting to Mr. Gandhi’s remarks on Manusmriti, the U.P. CM said that as the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Mr. Gandhi is expected to demonstrate accountability towards democracy and the Constitution. “If you want to understand Manu, you should read the Atharvaveda, Shatapatha Brahmana and Matsya Purana,” he said.

“No person goes through life without receiving care and protection from women in the form of a mother, sister, wife or daughter. India’s tradition concerning relationships between men and women, he said, needs to be understood in its broader context rather than viewed selectively,” added the U.P. CM.

Mr. Adityanath urged young people that should not to go in a direction that could later force their parents or families to apologise; the CM was referring to alleged abusive remarks against the Prime Minister at Jantar Mantar.

“The Prime Minister is not merely an individual but a constitutional institution of India. Therefore, he said, using abusive language against the Prime Minister amounts not only to insulting an individual but also to insulting the institution and the country,” said Mr. Adityanath.

The U.P. CM further accused Mr. Gandhi of allowing “urban Naxals” to damage the future of the present generation and questioned why he wanted to destroy India’s heritage and jeopardize the country’s future.

“The country had expected Rahul Gandhi, as Leader of Opposition, to play a positive and responsible role, but he completely distanced himself from his responsibilities. Amethi and Raebareli had supported the Gandhi family for decades. Still, the same family had also created an identity crisis for the region,” he siad.

“The Congress had shown greater interest in naming monuments and institutions after one family than in honouring great freedom fighters such as Rana Beni Madhav Baksh Singh, Lala Chand Sonekar and the valiant Veera Pasi linked to the region, honoring the country’s real heroes had never been a priority for the Congress,” alleged Mr. Adityanath.

The U.P. CM accused the Congress for consistently weakened democratic institutions.