Rahul Gandhi’s Photo on Sanitary Pads Sparks Social Media Storm Ahead of Bihar Polls

 

 

Patna : Just months before Bihar heads into polls, the Congress party has found itself at the center of a fiery online storm—this time, over sanitary pads. Yes, you read that right.

Images of sanitary pad boxes featuring Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have gone viral on social media, sparking everything from political outrage to meme wars and misinformation campaigns.

The pads were distributed under the Congress-backed Priyadarshini Udaan Yojana, a menstrual hygiene drive targeting women across rural Bihar.

But this campaign isn’t just about pads—it’s part of a bigger political promise

The drive is closely tied to the Congress party’s flagship election promise for Bihar: the ‘Mai Behan Samman Yojana’, which promises ₹2,500 monthly financial assistance to every adult woman if the party comes to power.

In essence, the sanitary pad distribution isn’t just a health move—it’s a welfare branding tool, combining menstrual health awareness with economic empowerment messaging for women voters.

Viral Buzz, Fake Clips & Trending Hashtags

It all blew up when several social media users started circulating images of the pad boxes with Rahul Gandhi’s face printed on them. Soon after, doctored videos emerged, falsely showing his image printed directly on the pads themselves.

That’s when things went nuclear.

“Now Rahul will visit every woman every month,” read one viral meme.
“From PM dreams to pad schemes?” tweeted a political influencer mockingly.

Within hours, hashtags like #PadsWithRahul, #MenstrualMarketing, and #CongressStyle started trending on X and Instagram. The issue snowballed into a meme frenzy, with political handles fueling both support and outrage.

BJP and JDU Slam Congress

The BJP didn’t waste time.

Party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla called the move “an insult to the dignity of women” and accused the Congress of using female health for cheap publicity. JDU leaders joined the attack, calling it a “vulgar election gimmick.”

Congress Hits Back, Files FIR Over Fake Video

Congress leaders were quick to respond, clarifying that Rahul Gandhi’s image was printed only on the box, not on the pad itself. They alleged that the viral videos showing otherwise were digitally manipulated.

Party MP Pramod Tiwari even filed an FIR against those spreading fake videos, stating:

“This is not just misinformation—it’s character assassination via Photoshop.”

Congress spokesperson Alka Lamba hit back on social media:

“Why are we not talking about the real issue—that even in 2025, millions of women don’t have access to menstrual hygiene?”

So, What’s Real & What’s Not?

By combining free sanitary pad distribution with the promise of monthly financial support, Congress is trying to cement its connect with Bihar’s women voters. But what was meant to be a message of empowerment has instead become a mess of optics—thanks to manipulated content and digital outrage.

Still, many netizens supported the move, calling it the first serious attempt to de-stigmatize menstruation in Indian electoral politics.

“At least he’s talking about periods, not petrol,” wrote one user.

Trending Hashtags:

#PadsWithRahul | #CongressVsBJP | #MaiBehanSammanYojana | #SanitaryPadPolitics | #FakeNewsAlert | #BiharPolls2025

In Summary:

• Congress distributed sanitary pads in Bihar with Rahul-Priyanka’s images on the boxes.

• It’s part of their ‘Mai Behan Samman Yojana’, which promises ₹2,500/month to women.

• Viral videos showed fake visuals of Rahul’s photo on actual pads—Congress called them fake, filed FIR.

• BJP and JDU slammed the move; social media exploded with memes, criticism, and misinformation.