Congress’ Bihar Outreach on Menstrual Hygiene Raises Questions Over Rahul Gandhi’s Political Branding

Photos of sanitary pads featuring the image of Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, are going viral on social media. At first glance, many assumed it was a distasteful joke or a photoshopped image. However, upon closer investigation, it has been confirmed that the image is not edited. In fact, the Congress party in Bihar is officially distributing sanitary pads with Rahul Gandhi’s picture printed on them.

The move is part of Congress’s promotional campaign for its proposed ‘Maai Bahin Maan Yojana’, a scheme the party promises to implement if it comes to power in the state. The initiative is aimed at promoting menstrual hygiene and awareness. However, the move has sparked sharp backlash from the opposition, which has labeled it a publicity stunt and an insult to women.

Congress Plans to Distribute Sanitary Pads to 5 Lakh Women

On Friday, Bihar Congress president Rajesh Kumar launched a campaign during a press conference, announcing that the party would distribute sanitary pads to around 500,000 women across the state. The campaign will be led by the Mahila Congress (Women’s Wing). During the launch, Kumar showcased sample packets bearing Rahul Gandhi’s photo.

He stated, “We will begin this campaign through Mahila Congress to distribute sanitary pads and raise awareness about menstrual hygiene. Our goal is to reach nearly five lakh women and address the taboos and silence surrounding menstruation in both rural and urban areas.”

The Congress party maintains that the initiative is intended to highlight menstrual health, break social myths, and promote awareness about hygiene.

What Has the BJP Said?

The BJP has condemned the move, calling it an insult to women. BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari posted on X, saying, “Putting Rahul Gandhi’s photo on sanitary pads is an insult to Bihar’s women. Congress is an anti-women party. Women in Bihar will teach Congress and RJD a lesson.”

Another BJP leader, Kundan Krishna, criticized the move as a reflection of the party’s “intellectual bankruptcy.” He said Congress leaders have taken sycophancy to a ridiculous level. “Distributing sanitary pads is one thing, but printing Rahul Gandhi’s face on them is peak sycophancy and mental bankruptcy,” he said, adding that Congress only uses women’s issues for electoral gain.

Chirag Paswan Also Questions the Move

Union Minister and LJP (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan also condemned the campaign. He stated, “This is wrong and uncomfortable. How far can a party go for its promotion? Distributing sanitary pads is fine, but Rahul Gandhi’s face on them? It just looks awkward.”

He added, “Everyone who has seen that image has found it disturbing and uncomfortable. Who is advising Congress on such tactics? This is not a dignified way of promoting health initiatives.” Chirag claimed that Congress’s real intention is not women’s health but electoral gain, using Rahul Gandhi’s image on sanitary pads as a vote-catching gimmick.

Insensitive Gimmick or Counter to BJP’s Popular Schemes?

With the BJP governments launching impactful welfare schemes like Ladli Behna Yojana in Madhya Pradesh and Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana in Maharashtra, both of which have created real ground-level impact and gained significant support from women voters, Congress’s latest move is being seen as an attempt to capture a share of the women’s vote bank.

While Congress claims its initiative is focused on menstrual health awareness, critics are asking: If that truly was the objective, was it necessary to print a political leader’s image on such a sensitive health product? Is it appropriate to turn a deeply personal health issue into a branding exercise?

After the images went viral, Congress’s local unit is being accused of sycophancy, once again placing Rahul Gandhi at the center of criticism. While the distribution of sanitary pads addresses a real social need, the decision to wrap it in political imagery is being viewed as a blatant act of self-promotion.

This raises an important question: Is this really a campaign for women’s health, or is it about branding Rahul Gandhi? Rahul Gandhi is undoubtedly a key leader of the Congress Party, and promoting his image is a political necessity. But when that necessity turns into excessive glorification, and worse, extends to sensitive women’s hygiene products, it borders on being not only shameful, but also a cruel joke on women’s dignity.

The question isn’t why Congress is distributing sanitary pads; awareness is still critically needed in society. The real question is: Why Rahul Gandhi’s face on them? Are women’s issues so trivial that even a genuine initiative has to be hijacked by political branding? This appears to be less about sensitivity to women’s health and more about displaying loyalty to the Gandhi family.

A party that once played a key role in India’s independence, has it now reduced itself to the shadow of a single family?