‘Huh? Is this real’: Hrithik Roshan reacts to BJP MP’s Vande Mataram dare to Rahul Gandhi - The Indian Express

In August, BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj challenged Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi to recite Vande Mataram after he called on women to “smash the patriarchy” at the Chhatron Ki Goonj event in Pune. The video recently caught Hrithik Roshan’s attention, with the actor expressing his surprise in the comments section.

Ruchira Chaturvedi, the Congress’ national convener for social media, shared Bansuri Swaraj’s video on Instagram with the caption, “Does she even know what she is saying? What has smashing the patriarchy got to do with Vande Mataram?” The post caught Hrithik Roshan’s attention, with the actor commenting, “Huh? Is this real. Wow (sic).”

Netizens reacted to Hrithik’s comment, and some even compared him with his fictional character, Krish. A comment read: “King unleash the Krish in you (sic).”

What did Bansuri Swaraj tell Rahul Gandhi?

At a media briefing, Bansuri Swaraj said, “If you want to smash the patriarchy, I challenge you to sing the full Vande Mataram. I am very comfortable in singing the Vande Mataram in its entirety (sic).”

What caused this reaction from Bansuri Swaraj?

In August, Rahul Gandhi addressed women at a Pune event, saying they were often confined to three roles: daughter, wife and mother. “You are this country’s foundation, its future. Patriarchy crushes you, frightens you, controls you. We must work together to dismantle this patriarchy. Smash the patriarchy. My message to you, a simple message: be loud, be proud and fight for your space in society,” he said.

In 1937, the Congress Working Committee recommended that only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram be sung at national gatherings, citing objections to the religious imagery in the later stanzas. Bansuri Swaraj invoked this decision while responding to Rahul’s “smash the patriarchy” remark, challenging him to sing all six stanzas of Vande Mataram.