BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya on Saturday drew flak over his remark that women in "bad clothes look like 'Shurpanakha'", with the opposition parties alleging that he has insulted every woman with his "sexist and misogynist" statement and it reflects his party's mindset.
Vijayvargiya, a BJP general secretary, made the controversial remark at a religious function in Madhya Pradesh's Indore on Thursday.
"When I leave for home at night, I see educated young people and children under the influence of drugs....I feel like getting down (from the car) and slapping them five to seven times to sober them up," the BJP leader said.
"We see goddess in women. But (with) the kind of bad dresses the girls wear and move around, they do not embody goddesses but look like Shurpanakha . God has given you a good and beautiful body.....dress well, friends," said Vijayvargiya who has often courted controversies over his remarks.
Shurpanakha was the sister of the demon king Ravana in the epic Ramayana.
"Are we living in Talibani rule that the government will tell women what to wear, what to eat and whom to meet," All India Mahila Congress chief Netta D'souza said.
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate alleged that it seems the BJP has no respect for women.
"What Kailash Vijayvargiya is saying at some level shows the love for 'Shurpanakha' within the BJP. This is the character of the BJP and this is why you find so many BJP legislators facing criminal charges as far as offences against women are concerned," she said.
The Trinamool Congress described the BJP leader's comments as "sexist and misogynist" and said India is "walking backwards" under the BJP's rule.
The party’s Rajya Sabha MP Jawhar Sircar tweeted: "This openly sexist remark reveals the low mentality of the party. " Another TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev asked: “Who defines dirty clothes? Shameless & shameful. Kailash Vijayvargiya".
"India continues to walk backwards under the leadership of PM @narendramodi. Senior @BJP4India leaders are now comparing women to demoness for simply choosing to wear what they please!" the TMC said on its Twitter handle.
The CPI (M) alleged that the BJP was "anti-women".
'"BJP-RSS ideology is deep-rooted in patriarchy," the Left party said on its Twitter handle.
"Insulting women, harassing them and making objectionable comments about them is becoming the identity of the BJP," former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath alleged.
"I request the mothers, sisters and daughters of the country to come forward in the fight for their rights, Congress party stands with them in the fight for their rights," he said.
Netta D'souza questioned the "silence" of other BJP leaders.
"What Kailash Vijayvargiya has said is an insult to every woman in the country. But Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani will remain silent on this. Will she break her silence on this dirty remark." "Why is Shivraj ji (Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan), who runs a scheme for women only to garner their votes, silent," she asked.
Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.
