Bharatiya Janata Party leader Smriti Irani launched a counterattack against Rahul Gandhi over the escalating Vande Mataram controversy and his Manusmriti remarks. Irani flagged the muting of stanzas related to Goddess Durga at the Congress headquarters during Independence Day events. She questioned why Congress leaders skipped paragraphs praising Goddess Durga while claiming to support women's empowerment. The BJP alleged that skipping these stanzas reveals the true character of the Congress party, noting that Parliament approved all six stanzas of Vande Mataram. Irani also addressed remarks made during Rahul Gandhi's Chhatro Ki Goonj event, accusing him of invoking religion while ignoring key religious stanzas.
