Tourism minister's safety guidelines create controversy
On Sunday, while talking about what steps the government can take to make India a safe destination for tourists, he gave a list of dos and don'ts.
NDTV quoted the minister as saying, "When tourists arrive at the airport, they will be given a welcome kit which has a card with dos and don'ts... it has instructions like if they are in small areas, they should not roam around alone at night or wear skirts."
The minister's remarks immediately attracted attention from various corners, especially on digital media.
Tweeted Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, "Women had greater freedom to wear clothes of their choice in Vedic times than they have in Modi times."
Sanjay Jha,National Spokesperson, INC, tweeted, "Mahesh Sharma is skirting the issue; truth is he has de-marketed India by his ridiculous advisory on a dress code for women.#CultureVulture."
Speaking to the media on Monday, the minister said that he was a father of two daughters and would never tell women what they should wear or not.
He said, "Our culture is Atithi Devobhava [a guest is like god]. Such a ban is unimaginable, but it is not a crime to be cautious. Different countries issue advisories from time to time, but I never said change anyone's way of dressing."
Sharma had cooked up a near similar controversy a year ago when he had remarked that a night-out for girls was not acceptable in India, media reported.
Image: Mahesh Sharma/Twitter
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