Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday took a swipe at Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his recent message on women’s freedom and empowerment, linking the Congress leader’s remarks to the long-pending debate over the Women’s Reservation Bill.

Rahul Gandhi, in a video posted on Instagram on Friday, spoke about the need to bring women “back into the conversation” and allow them to pursue what they want.

Responding to the video, Kiren Rijiju described the message as positive but suggested that it reflected a “change of heart” within the Congress.

Kiren Rijiju links Rahul Gandhi’s message to women’s quota

“Now, I hope Congress Party will support the Women’s Reservation Bill unconditionally,” Rijiju posted on X while reacting to Gandhi’s video.

Rijiju said Gandhi’s remarks appeared to represent a change in the Congress leader’s position on women.

“This seems to be a positive message from the Congress Party. There’s a visible change of heart in Shri Rahul Gandhi Ji about the Women,” the Parliamentary Affairs Minister said in his post.

He then used the opportunity to raise the issue of the Women’s Reservation Bill and urged the Congress to support it without conditions.

Congress, Centre differ over delimitation and women’s quota

The exchange comes against the backdrop of differences between the Congress and the Centre over the proposed delimitation exercise and its connection with the implementation of women’s reservation.

Congress and other opposition parties have been opposing the government’s proposed delimitation legislation and have called for the 33 per cent reservation for women to be implemented based on the current strength of Parliament.

The government has been seeking to increase the number of seats in Parliament and state Assemblies as part of the process for implementing the women’s quota. The 33 per cent reservation for women had earlier been passed unanimously by Parliament.

What Rahul Gandhi said about women’s freedom

Rahul Gandhi’s Friday Instagram video followed his response during a Thursday “Ask Me Anything” session, in which he was asked about young women fighting for their right to study.

Gandhi had said that “India’s women are our strength, our biggest asset” and expressed dissatisfaction with the way women are treated in the country, including in education and corporate systems.

In his subsequent video, Gandhi said the energy of Indian women was being restricted and that they were not always allowed to express themselves or imagine freely.

He argued that India could not fully succeed without women being able to express themselves.

Gandhi said women’s empowerment should not be limited to succeeding in business or politics. According to him, women should also be able to express their views at home and move freely on the streets.

He further spoke about women being able to question their parents, husbands, brothers and others, arguing that greater freedom from patriarchy and rigid control was necessary for India’s development.

The remarks subsequently drew Rijiju’s response, with the minister connecting Gandhi’s message on women’s empowerment to the political debate over the Women’s Reservation Bill.

Senior DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin launched a sharp attack on the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government shortly after being released following police questioning over his remarks on actor Trisha Krishnan.

Welcomed by supporters outside the police station in Thanjavur on Tuesday evening, Stalin described his detention as a “comedy” staged by a “circus government” and referred to Chief Minister Vijay as a “dummy Chief Minister”.

He alleged that the action against him was intended to shift public attention away from what he described as the government’s failure to address the Cauvery water issue affecting farmers.

Udhayanidhi Stalin links arrest to Cauvery water issue

Addressing supporters after his release, Udhayanidhi Stalin claimed he had been treated “like a terrorist” despite raising concerns related to farmers, the Mekedatu dam project and the Cauvery river dispute.

He said that during the previous DMK government, water from the Mettur dam was released annually on June 12 for farmers, but alleged that the current TVK government had failed to secure water despite five months in office.

According to Stalin, his criticism was focused on governance and the state’s handling of water-related issues rather than personal attacks.

DMK leader denies insulting women over Trisha remarks

Responding to the controversy surrounding his speech, Udhayanidhi Stalin maintained that his remarks had been taken out of context.

He alleged that portions of his speech had been selectively edited to create a misleading impression. Rejecting allegations that he had used inappropriate language or double meanings, he said his comments were solely about the need for water for farmers.

Stalin also stressed that he had no intention of disrespecting women and said he regarded every mother and sister in Tamil Nadu as members of his own family. He expressed disappointment that some political allies criticised him without watching his complete speech.

Says he is ready to face legal action

In a post on X, the DMK leader asserted that he would not be intimidated by police cases or political pressure.

Referring to his political background, he said he was prepared to fight the matter through legal means and would continue raising the Cauvery issue on behalf of farmers. He also thanked DMK workers and alliance leaders who protested against his detention and demanded the release of those held during demonstrations.

TVK dismisses Udhayanidhi Stalin’s allegations

TVK leader Adhava Arjuna rejected Stalin’s accusations, saying the government was not driven by political revenge.

He argued that the ruling party did not view Udhayanidhi Stalin as a political rival and challenged him to resign as an MLA and contest a fresh election without relying on his family’s political legacy. Arjuna claimed that TVK would field an ordinary woman candidate and asserted that Stalin would struggle to retain public support if such an election were held.

How the controversy began

The controversy stems from Udhayanidhi Stalin’s speech in Thanjavur on the Cauvery water dispute with Karnataka, during which members of the audience repeatedly chanted actor Trisha Krishnan’s name.

The TVK alleged that Stalin’s response carried an inappropriate double meaning and accused him of lowering the standards of political discourse while disrespecting women.

Stalin has consistently denied the allegation, maintaining that his remarks were misrepresented through edited clips. He reiterated that he never intended to offend anyone, particularly women, and said his upbringing and family values would never allow such conduct.

Tamil Nadu Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin was arrested from his Chennai residence on Tuesday after his remarks about actor Trisha at a public rally sparked a political controversy.

The arrest comes a day after comments made by the DMK leader during a protest meeting in Thanjavur drew criticism from political parties, leading to complaints and demands for legal action.

Udhayanidhi calls arrest a ‘joke’

Udhayanidhi Stalin was seen smiling as police escorted him from his residence following the arrest. Speaking briefly, he described the police action as a “joke” and said he would challenge it through legal means.

Controversy began during Thanjavur rally

The controversy began during a protest gathering over the Cauvery water dispute in Thanjavur on Monday.

While criticising Chief Minister Joseph Vijay over the state’s water concerns, members of the crowd shouted actor Trisha’s name. Udhayanidhi paused his speech and responded with what critics described as an offensive double entendre, triggering widespread backlash.

DMK alleges political vendetta

The DMK criticised the arrest and alleged that it was politically motivated.

Party leader TKS Elangovan said Udhayanidhi had only highlighted the Chief Minister’s failures and had neither insulted anyone nor mentioned Trisha by name. According to the party, the arrest amounts to political vendetta.

TVK defends action, says issue is about insulting a woman

Rejecting the DMK’s allegations, TVK leader Americai Narayanan said the arrest was not linked to criticism of the Chief Minister or the party.

According to him, the action was taken because Udhayanidhi allegedly insulted a woman through his remarks. He also criticised the DMK leader over the controversy.

Earlier, TVK had submitted a complaint to the National Commission for Women (NCW) seeking action against Udhayanidhi Stalin. The party also filed a police complaint.

In its complaint, TVK alleged that Udhayanidhi used offensive, double-meaning remarks and vulgar innuendos targeting a prominent female public figure. The party further stated that such remarks normalise the objectification and verbal harassment of women in public spaces.

BJP also demanded arrest

The Tamil Nadu BJP had also demanded Udhayanidhi Stalin’s arrest over the remarks.

State BJP chief spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy described the comments as “disgusting, obscene, vulgar, and shameful” and said legal action against the DMK leader would be appropriate.

Similar controversy in the past

The controversy has once again brought attention to repeated public remarks involving actor Trisha in political debates.

According to the source, since rumours about Vijay and Trisha’s relationship surfaced, political and film personalities have made comments about the actor on multiple occasions.

Earlier this year, Tamil Nadu BJP leader Nainar Nagendran had remarked that Vijay should “come out of Trisha’s house” before entering politics. Trisha’s legal team had responded to those comments at the time.