A heated exchange broke out in the Rajya Sabha when Congress president and Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge raised the Manusmriti during discussion on the Public Examinations Bill. Kharge alleged that parts of the ancient text were now finding a place in what he described as the BJP's curriculum, turning the debate into a wider political confrontation.
The remark drew a sharp response from Union minister and BJP president JP Nadda. According to the report, Nadda challenged Kharge to produce the original manuscript for authentication, pushing back against the allegation and escalating the verbal clash in the House.
The episode shifted attention away from the bill itself and toward the recurring ideological battle between the ruling party and the opposition over education, history and the direction of public policy. Kharge's intervention framed the issue as part of a larger concern about what is being taught, while the BJP side questioned the basis of his claim.
The Rajya Sabha exchange underlined how debates on legislation can quickly expand into broader political arguments. In this case, the discussion on the Public Examinations Bill became the setting for a fierce dispute over Manusmriti, curriculum and the BJP-Congress divide.
