‘Girls who wear dirty clothes look like Shurpanakha’

A senior leader of India’s ruling BJP party has come under fire for making sexist and offensive remarks at a religious function in Indore. Kailash Vijayvargiya, the party’s general secretary, made derogatory comments about girls who wear “dirty clothes,” comparing them to Shurpanakha, a demoness from the Indian epic Ramayana known for her unattractive appearance and lustful behavior.

Vijayvargiya also expressed his frustration with intoxicated youth, saying that he felt like slapping them to sober them up. These comments have caused a stir as they have been deemed offensive by many.

Speaking at a religious function in Indore, he went on to say that when he sees young people out at night, he feels like slapping them to sober them up, adding that there is no trace of goddess-like qualities in young women who dress inappropriately.

His comments have been criticized by the opposition and social media users, who have accused him of misogyny and moral policing.

The BJP has not issued a statement on the matter.

Sangeeta Sharma, a spokesperson for the Indian National Congress, has criticized Kailash Vijayvargiya, describing them as yet another example of the BJP’s disrespectful treatment of women. She further accused the party of having a regressive mindset towards women, and demanded that Vijayvargiya apologize for his comments.

Vijayvargiya is known for making controversial statements, and last month he made a divisive claim that whatever was left of India after independence and partition constituted a “Hindu Rashtra,” which goes against the country’s founding principle of secularism.