Senior BJP leader and Madhya Pradesh Urban Development and Housing Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya stoked controversy Thursday after he said the Leader of Opposition – ostensibly a reference to Rahul Gandhi – is “someone who lacks culture” because he “kisses his sister in public”. At a function in Shajapur Thursday, Vijayvargiya said: "Aaj ke humare pratipaksh ke neta aise hai joh apne jawaan behen ko bilkul chaurahe pe achumban kar lete hai. Mein apse puchhna chahta hu aap mein se koi aisa vyakti hai kya jinhone apne jawaan beti ko, jawan behan ko shahriik roop se chumban kiya ho? Ye sanskaro ka abhav hai. Ye sanskar videsh ke sanskriti hai. Bharat chelega toh humare desh ke sanskar ke aadhar pe chalega. (Today our Opposition leader is such that he kisses his younger sister right in public. I want to ask you - is there anyone among you who has kissed their young daughter or young sister in public? This is a lack of values and culture. These values are from foreign culture. If India is to be run, it will run on the basis of our country's values).” The Congress party hit back, saying that Vijayvargiya could not digest Rahul’s and Priyanka's growing popularity. Congress spokesperson Abhinav Barolia said, “He has made such comments on women's clothing, and such comments expose his mentality. He is bringing down political discourse. He is unable to digest the popularity of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi”. In June, Vijayvargiya had stirred controversy with his remarks about women's clothing. Speaking at a public event in Indore, Vijayvargiya said, “I don't like girls who wear skimpy clothes.” Referring to Western culture, the minister said: “Here in India, we consider a girl beautiful when she dresses well, wears jewellery, and adorns herself gracefully. In the West, a woman wearing fewer clothes is considered beautiful. I don't agree with that.”
