Lok Sabha Election 2024: Decoding The BJP vs Congress Streedhan Mangalsutra Controversy

As India gears up for the high-stakes Lok Sabha elections in 2024, an unexpected controversy has erupted, igniting a heated debate on women's rights and property ownership. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent remarks, drawing attention to the concepts of Streedhan and Mangalsutra, have sparked a firestorm of reactions, thrusting these deeply ingrained cultural and legal principles into the political spotlight.

The Streedhan-Mangalsutra Controversy Explained

Over the weekend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing a rally in Rajasthan, stirred the 'mangalsutra row,' alleging that married women's mangalsutras wouldn't be safe if the Congress was voted to power. This statement fuelled a heated exchange between political factions, with Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra vehemently challenging the PM's assertions.

As reported by Firstpost, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra questioned the validity of such claims, highlighting the historical context and the absence of Streedhan confiscation during the Congress party's rule.

She said: “In the past two days, the prime minister says that the Congress party will rob your gold and mangalsutra. For 70 years, India has been independent, for 55 years Congress ruled the country, did they take your gold away?”

The controversy gained further momentum when PM Modi reiterated his stance during a rally in Aligarh, accusing the Congress and its allies of planning to amend laws to seize control of Streedhan.

Addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh on Monday, PM Modi targeted the Congress over its manifesto saying that the "party is planning to redistribute people's property if voted to power".

'Your Mangalsutra will not be safe under Congress rule,' PM Modi said at a rally in Aligarh at Numaish Maidan. He claimed that the Congress manifesto says they will calculate the gold with mothers and sisters, get information about it and then distribute that property.

"I want to warn my countrymen. Congress and INDI alliance have their eyes on your earnings and your property. The 'Shehzada' of Congress says that if their government comes to power, they will investigate who earns how much, who has how many property. Our mothers and sisters have gold. It is 'stree dhan', it is considered sacred, the law also protects it. Now these people's eyes are on the 'Mangalsutra' of women. Their intention is to steal the gold of mothers and sisters," PM Modi said as reported by AΝΙ.

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Understanding Streedhan: Women's Financial Autonomy

We spoke to Siddharth Chandrashekhar, Advocate and Legal Counsel, Bombay High Court, about Streedhan and its significance. According to him, "Streedhan is a term derived from Sanskrit, where 'stree' means woman and 'dhan' means wealth or property. It refers to the gifts, valuables, or wealth that a woman receives from her parents, relatives, or in-laws at the time of her marriage, or during other significant life events like childbirth."

"Streedhan is the absolute property of the wife," Chandrashekhar explains, "irrespective of how it was acquired (i.e. who gave it to her). If it was given to the husband or any of his family members, he is bound to give it back to her. It serves as a form of financial security and empowerment for women within the cultural context."

As the nation prepares to cast its vote, it is imperative to move beyond the rhetoric and focus on the substance of the issues at hand. Only through open and inclusive discourse can we pave the way for a society that truly upholds the dignity and rights of all its citizens, irrespective of gender or cultural background.

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