'Kam kapde wali ladki': BJP MP likens clothing to morality
What's the story
Madhya Pradesh Cabinet Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kailash Vijayvargiya has sparked a controversy with his comments on women's clothing.
At an event in Indore, he said he doesn't like women or girls wearing revealing clothes and refuses to take photos with them.
"I don't like women or girls who wear revealing clothes, to the point where I refuse to take photos with them," he said.
Cultural contrast
Indian vs Western beauty standards
Vijayvargiya also compared Indian and Western beauty standards, saying that while a woman in India is considered beautiful if she wears good clothes and makeup, the opposite is true abroad.
He said, "If a girl here [in India] wears good and pretty clothes, does good makeup and wears nice jewelry, then people consider her very beautiful. But abroad, if a [woman] wears less clothing, then it is considered good."
Twitter Post
Kailash Vijayvargiya's remarks
VIDEO | Here is what MP Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya (@KailashOnline ) says on women who wear skimpy clothes: "I believe women should dress beautifully in Indian attire, as it is highly regarded in our culture. But, in some other countries, women who wear less clothes are often… pic.twitter.com/3FhKERsHNX
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 5, 2025
Reaction
'Women are a form of goddess'
He also said that he found a foreign proverb comparing politicians' short speeches to women's short garments inappropriate.
"There is such a saying in foreign countries, but I do not follow it. I do not follow this saying. I believe in our country (India), women are a form of goddess. They should wear very good clothes," he told the crowd.
Political backlash
TMC calls for minister's resignation
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) slammed Vijayvargiya's comments as "MISOGYNISTIC, CHAUVINISTIC, and PATRIARCHAL."
The TMC demanded action from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and called for Vijayvargiya's resignation.
Madhya Pradesh Women's Congress president Vibha Patel also criticized the minister's remarks, saying they were attention-seeking behavior due to feeling isolated within his party.
History of remarks
Similar remarks in the past
This isn't the first time Vijayvargiya has faced criticism for his comments on women's clothing.
In 2022, he made similar remarks during a Hanuman Jayanti event, criticizing young women's clothing choices and urging parents to teach their children values.
"Girls today wear such inappropriate clothes... We call women goddesses, but they don't look like that. Some resemble Shurpanakha. God gave you a beautiful body, at least dress decently. Teach your children values," he had said.