NEW DELHI: In a bizarre remark, Madhya Pradesh minister and senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya on Thursday claimed that he “doesn’t like women who wear revealing clothes” and that he refuses to take photos with them.“I believe women should dress beautifully in Indian attire, as it is highly regarded in our culture,” he said. “But, in some other countries, women who wear less clothes are often considered to be fashionable similarly politicians who give fewer speeches are good. This is a saying in other countries, I don’t believe in this. I view women as goddesses, and they should wear good clothes. I don’t like women or girls who wear revealing clothes, to the point where I refuse to take photos with them.”

Not the first time

This is not the first time that Vijayvargiya has commented on the dressing choices of women. In 2024, Vijayvargiya had received widespread criticism for comparing women in “bad dresses” to Shurpanakha – a demoness from the Ramayana. That earlier statement, made at a religious gathering in Indore, had sparked furious responses from across the political spectrum.“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,” he had said. “God has given you a good and beautiful body… dress well, friends.”Opposition leaders had slammed Vijayvargiya then saying, “Are we living under Talibani rule that the government will tell women what to wear, what to eat and whom to meet?” asked All India Mahila Congress chief Netta D’Souza. She also questioned the “silence” of Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani.Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate had accused the BJP of harbouring a disrespectful attitude towards women. “What Kailash Vijayvargiya is saying shows the love for ‘Shurpanakha’ within the BJP,” she said. “This is the character of the BJP.”The Trinamool Congress had also condemned the remarks. MP Jawhar Sircar called it a “sexist” statement that “reveals the low mentality of the party”, while Sushmita Dev called it “shameful”. “India continues to walk backwards under the leadership of PM Modi,” the party posted on social media.