New Delhi: Jyotirmath Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati on Tuesday announced that Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has been formally excommunicated from the Hindu religion.

The declaration comes in response to remarks Gandhi made in Parliament, which the Shankaracharya claims insulted the Manusmriti — a revered ancient Hindu text.

The Shankaracharya stated that a notice had been issued to Rahul Gandhi requesting an apology for his statements, but no response was received. Speaking at his Math in Kankhal, he said, "Rahul Gandhi has been formally excommunicated from Hinduism by the Shankaracharya Math."

The controversy stems from Gandhi's remarks during a parliamentary session earlier this year, where he accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of adhering to Manusmriti rather than the Constitution of India. Recalling his visit to Hathras — where he met the family of a gang-rape victim — Gandhi said:
"The culprits are roaming around and the girl’s family are confined at home. Where is it written in Constitution that the culprit will roam free? This is written in your book Manusmriti."

He also criticised the BJP for allegedly embracing the ideology of VD Savarkar and ignoring social reformers like Periyar, Jyotiba Phule, and Mahatma Gandhi, whom he described as true defenders of constitutional values.

While Gandhi has not officially responded to the excommunication claim, the issue has added a new dimension to the ongoing ideological clash between the Congress and BJP over religion, law, and governance in India.