New Delhi, August 25, 2026: Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has come out in support of actor Kriti Sanon after her outfit in a Raksha Bandhan jewellery advertisement triggered criticism on social media. Gandhi defended Sanon’s right to make her own choices, saying that a woman’s clothing, actions and movements should not be subjected to online policing.
Gandhi shared Sanon’s response to the controversy on his Instagram Stories and wrote: “What a woman wears, what she does and where she goes — is her choice. Stop trolling women for exercising their freedom.” He also added the hashtag #SmashThePatriarchy to his post.
The intervention came as the controversy around Sanon’s Raksha Bandhan advertisement intensified following criticism from social media users and actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut.
What sparked the Raksha Bandhan controversy?
The controversy centres on a jewellery advertisement released ahead of Raksha Bandhan. Sanon appears in the campaign wearing an ivory Indo-Western ensemble consisting of a bralette-style blouse, a cape and a draped skirt.
In the advertisement, she is shown celebrating Raksha Bandhan and tying a rakhi to her on-screen brother. A pet dog also appears in the campaign, which became another point of discussion among critics.
Some viewers argued that Sanon’s outfit was inappropriate for an advertisement associated with a traditional Indian festival. The criticism quickly moved beyond fashion and became a wider debate about cultural traditions, women's clothing and how women in public life are judged for their appearance.
Kriti Sanon responds to the backlash
Sanon eventually addressed the criticism herself, questioning why women's cultural values continue to be assessed through their clothing.
In her response, she argued that the meaning of a festival comes from the emotions and traditions associated with it rather than simply from what someone wears. She also highlighted the changing nature of ethnic fashion and questioned why a woman's respect for culture should be measured by her neckline.
Sanon also explained the presence of dogs in the campaign. She said that the bond of protection celebrated during Raksha Bandhan can extend to pets because they are considered part of the family.
Her response effectively shifted the discussion from whether her outfit was appropriate to a larger question: Who gets to decide what a woman should wear during a cultural or religious celebration?
Kangana Ranaut enters the debate
The controversy gained further attention after BJP MP and actor Kangana Ranaut criticised the advertisement.
Although Ranaut did not directly name Sanon in her social media post, her comments were widely interpreted as a criticism of the advertisement and its presentation of the Raksha Bandhan ritual.
Ranaut questioned why an advertisement celebrating a brother-sister relationship would portray a woman in an outfit she compared with swimwear or underwear. She argued that women have numerous options when choosing what to wear and described the advertisement as “intentionally creepy.”
Her remarks added a political dimension to what had initially been a debate over a celebrity advertisement.
Rahul Gandhi's direct defence
Rahul Gandhi's response took the debate in the opposite direction.
Rather than discussing whether Sanon's outfit was suitable for Raksha Bandhan, Gandhi focused on the principle of personal freedom. By sharing Sanon's statement and explicitly saying that women should be free to decide what they wear, he positioned the controversy as an example of what he described as trolling women for exercising their freedom.
His message also broadened the issue beyond clothing. Gandhi said that what a woman wears, what she does and where she goes is her choice, making his intervention about women's autonomy rather than simply defending one actor's fashion decision.
The use of the “Smash the Patriarchy” hashtag further underlined the message behind his post.
A debate about tradition versus personal freedom
At the heart of the controversy is a familiar tension between cultural expectations and individual freedom.
Raksha Bandhan is traditionally associated with the bond between siblings, particularly the exchange of a rakhi and promises of protection. Because the festival has strong cultural associations, advertisements connected to it often attract scrutiny over how traditions are represented.
Critics of Sanon's advertisement focused on the perceived mismatch between the traditional occasion and her contemporary outfit. Supporters, meanwhile, argued that cultural traditions do not require women to follow a fixed dress code.
Sanon's own response reflected the latter position. She maintained that culture and tradition are matters of values and emotions rather than simply clothing.
Why the controversy has become bigger than an advertisement
The dispute illustrates how celebrity advertising can quickly become a wider social debate in the age of social media.
An advertisement that might previously have generated discussion around fashion or branding can now become part of conversations about gender, culture and politics within hours. Public figures can amplify those debates, turning a commercial campaign into a national talking point.
In this case, three distinct positions have emerged.
Sanon has defended her personal choice and argued against judging women's cultural values through their clothes. Kangana Ranaut criticised the advertisement's presentation and questioned its appropriateness for Raksha Bandhan. Rahul Gandhi, meanwhile, defended Sanon's broader right to make personal choices without being subjected to online trolling.
The larger question: Can culture dictate clothing?
The controversy raises a broader question about how society interprets cultural identity.
Traditional festivals naturally carry established customs, but fashion and advertising have also evolved. Contemporary campaigns frequently combine traditional themes with modern styling in an effort to appeal to younger audiences.
The disagreement arises when that modern interpretation is seen by some viewers as crossing the boundaries of tradition.
For Sanon and her supporters, however, the central issue is whether clothing should be treated as evidence of a person's respect—or disrespect—for culture.
Rahul Gandhi's intervention reinforces the argument that such judgments should not become a basis for policing women's choices.
Political reactions add another layer
The involvement of two prominent political figures has ensured that the advertisement controversy is no longer confined to Bollywood or social media.
Kangana Ranaut, a BJP MP and actor, criticised the campaign, while Rahul Gandhi, the Congress Leader of Opposition, defended Sanon's freedom of choice. Their contrasting responses have given the issue an unmistakable political dimension.
Yet the underlying debate remains broader than party politics. It concerns the extent to which public figures—and women in particular—should be subjected to judgments about clothing when appearing in advertisements linked to cultural occasions.
What happens next?
For now, the controversy remains largely a social-media debate, but it has already generated discussion about representation, women's autonomy and the changing presentation of Indian traditions in popular culture.
Rahul Gandhi's intervention has given Sanon a high-profile political ally in the debate, while her own response has made clear that she does not believe a woman's clothing should determine how her cultural values are judged.
The episode ultimately highlights a larger conflict between traditional expectations and individual choice. Whether viewers see the advertisement as an inappropriate interpretation of Raksha Bandhan or simply a modern fashion campaign, the debate has moved beyond the advertisement itself.
At its centre is one fundamental question: Should a woman's clothes determine how society judges her respect for culture and tradition?
Rahul Gandhi's answer is clear—her choice.
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