Why Congress’s ‘Priyadarshini Udaan Yojana’ hit with backlash after free sanitary pad rollout in Bihar?

The Indian National Congress launched the 'Priyadarshini Udaan Yojana' initiative in Bihar last week, distributing over 5 lakh boxes of sanitary pads across the state. However, it ignited a controversy as the kits featured pictures of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. 

 

The campaign, which is reported to be spearheaded by the Mahila Congress, is aimed at tackling menstrual hygiene issues in rural areas and supporting the 'Mai Bahin Maan Yojana' scheme proposed in December 2024, which aims to contribute Rs. 2,500 per month to underprivileged women from the state. “We conducted a survey in Bihar, and shocking figures came out that in today's modern India, women and daughters of Bihar are using cloth during menstruation and are falling prey to serious diseases”, All India Mahila Congress President Alka Lamba said. “Mahila Congress has taken the initiative to give free sanitary vending machines to our mothers, sisters, daughters of Bihar who are using cloth due to unemployment, inflation, poverty and are unable to buy it," she added. 

 

 

This act has triggered immediate criticism from rival parties, the JD(U) and the BJP. An insult of women of Bihar with Rahul Gandhi's picture on sanitary pad! Congress is an anti-women party! Women of Bihar will teach Congress-RJD a lesson,” BJP’s national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said in a post on X. Neeraj Kumar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s representative, called the strategy a shallow electoral gimmick, speaking vehemently against the initiative while highlighting the JD(U)’s alleged work. "Our leader Nitish Kumar has been working continuously to empower the daughters and sisters of state, to empower them and to build a robust landscape for their overall development. The election year has come; daughters, women are a symbol of respect and honour, but you, in an arrogant display of power, put your face on it (sanitary pads)," he said.

 

 "It shows, in politics, what is called ideological bankruptcy or lack of intellect. Not understanding the situation, or, naturally, the outcomes of being with a party like RJD, which is known for its political misdeeds, the effect of that co-operation was seen," Neeraj Kumar further opined. BJP spokesman Kuntal Krishna added his two cents’ worth as well, saying, "Whatever needs to be done for women in Bihar is being done by the government. But the Congress, which is worried about its prospects in the upcoming assembly polls, has shown its ideological bankruptcy. Its leader Rahul Gandhi has been notorious for lacking a sense of propriety. The trait seems to have afflicted the party, in which sycophancy reigns supreme.”

 

 

The Congress was quick to respond in retaliatory defence with Alka Lamba putting forward a statement, countering the criticism, "In the modern era, the question is not why Rahul Gandhi's photos are there on the packets. The question is why our daughters in Bihar are still compelled to use pieces of cloth during their menstruation cycle, and fall ill. The BJP has always had an anti-women mindset," she stated. 

 

She further dismissed critics by highlighting the fact that the rival political parties had also followed a similar strategy by printing their leaders’ images onto public products. “From a ‘sindoor box’ to vaccine certificates, BJP, which prints Modi-ji’s photo on everything, is now troubled by Rahul-ji’s photo. The work that the government should have done, we have started.”

 

 

Some women have expressed embarrassment and concern over the new proceedings. "This is nothing but an insult to women who will find the image of a male while using the sanitary pads… Congress is stooping too low to win the support of women voters,” said Pinki Kumari of Muzaffarpur. She added that it was “sheer stupidity” for the Congress to imagine that the distribution of free sanitary pads with Rahul Gandhi’s face would garner them support from women. Sunita Sing of Vaishali also spoke, saying, “Rahul is trying to emerge as a ‘Pad Man’, but that is not the way to launch a party campaign.

 

 

A viral video began circulating on social media a few days ago, falsely portraying Rahul Gandhi’s image printed on the inside of a pad. The Congress took immediate action and filed FIRs against the perpetrators on Sunday.

 

India