Shankaracharya 'Expels' Rahul Gandhi From Hinduism Over Manusmriti Remarks
Shankaracharya Ashram said that he waited for three months for Rahul Gandhi to clarify his remarks on Manusmriti, but the Congress leader failed to reply despite a reminder.
Jyotirmath Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwarananda Saraswati on Saturday expelled Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi from Hinduism over his remarks on Manusmriti in Parliament. He said that Gandhi 'insulted Sanatan Dharma' and tha he failed to provide a clarification on his remarks.
Making the announcement at the Shankaracharya Ashram in Badrinath, the seer stated that he waited for a reply from Gandhi for three months, but the leader did not respond despite being sent a reminder. Gandhi's remarks that Manusmriti "protects rapists" during a speech in Parliament in December, 2024, stoked a controversy, Times Of India reported.
"During his speech, he first targeted ruling party members and then made the comment against Manusmriti. It is our dharm-grantha (religious text). Pointing a finger at the ruling party's benches, Gandhi had said it is written in 'your boo which means he does not regard himself as a Hindu. A person who does not regard Manusmriti as his text cannot be a Hindu," the Shankaracharya said, adding that Gandhi was acting against Hinduism.
"We took a decision that he should be banned from temples and priests should not perform pooja for him," he said, as quoted by TOI.
Jyotirmath Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati in Mahakumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh had also threatened to oust Gandhi from Hinduism over his derogatory remark on Manusmriti.
Referring to the Hathras rape incident in his Parliament speech, Gandhi stated that he visited the victim’s house where he was informed that the rapists were roaming freely, while the victim’s family was confined to their house.
"Where is this written in the Constitution (the victim’s family remains confined and the rapists roam freely)? It is written in your book, it is written in Manusmriti. It is not written in the Constitution. And if you say that you rule in U P and the Constitution does not apply there. Manusmriti applies there," Gandhi had said.
During the debate on the Motion of Thanks for the President's address, Gandhi, Iin his first speech in Parliament as the LoP, had accused BJP leaders of dividing people along communal lines. PM Modi responded to this, claiming that Gandhi had referred to the "entire Hindu community as violent."
To this, Gandhi replied: "Narendra Modi ji is not the entire Hindu community, BJP is not the entire Hindu community, RSS is not the entire Hindu community."
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