'Bharat Mata Ki Jay': Kangana trolls Rahul Gandhi's 'smash the patriarchy' talk

The advertisement was pulled down on Wednesday.

Updated on: Aug 26, 2026, 12:32:19 IST

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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and actor Kangana Ranaut on Tuesday hit back at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi over his “smash the patriarchy” jibe, amid a controversy over actor Kriti Sanon’s attire in a Raksha Bandhan advertisement.

The advertisement was pulled down on Wednesday.

In a cryptic Instagram story on Saturday, Ranaut posted caricatures of herself and an apparent Gandhi figure — with "Gandhi" declaring "Smash the patriarchy," and "Ranaut" cutting in with "Bro, wait. Bharat Mata ki Jay. Shuru karte hai," seemingly poking fun at performative feminism.

The Instagram story came hours after Gandhi backed Sanon who found herself in the crosshairs of the controversy over her Rakhi advertisement attire.

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The ad for a jewellery brand had the "Cocktail 2" star in an Indo-Western ensemble featuring a bralette-skirt combo with a cape and shows her tying a Rakhi to her brother and pet dog. The 36-second video sent social media into a frenzy of debate, opening up questions of freedom of choice, what constitutes Indian culture and the nature of the brother-sister festival itself.

Two days ago, Ranaut, who is known for her provocative statements, questioned her choice of outfit to represent a traditional Indian festival. "It's a wonderful time to be a woman, our closets are full of variety of clothes, today's woman is a global woman, from cocktail dresses to lehenga cholis, jeans to saris, bikinis to salwar kameez.

"…From all the options that are available to us today why would you tie your brother a Rakhi in your bikini/ undergarments? Where are all your styling options? Ha ha the advert looks intentionally creepy," she said on an Instagram story.

Sanon later shot back, saying the essence of festivals is not in the clothes one wears but "in the emotions and meaning you hold for the traditions".

"Culture & Traditions are in her heart, not in her neckline!… Also, when will we stop telling women what to wear?? Ethnic fashion has evolved over the years, but still a woman's respect for her culture is measured with just her clothes," she said in a note shared on her Instagram Stories.

Gandhi also backed her, saying what a woman wears, what she does and where she goes is her choice. "Stop trolling women for exercising their freedom," he said, using the hashtag 'smash the patriarchy'.

Amid growing backlash, Giva Jewellery pulled down the advertisement on Wednesday. “If our recent advertisement has inadvertently hurt the sentiments of some segments of society, that was not our intent at all,” it said in a statement on Instagram.

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