BJP MP says Priyanka wears jeans in Delhi and sari in rural areas; is slammed for sexist remark

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra wears jeans in Delhi but a sari and sindoor in rural areas, BJP MP Harish Dwivedi has said in a remark condemned as sexist and misogynistic.

A video clip of the BJP MP from Basti in Uttar Pradesh making the comments on Sunday evening has been circulated widely on social media.

"Priyanka Gandhi wears jeans and top in Delhi but when she comes to rural areas she is clad in a sari and wears sindoor," Dwivedi told reporters in his constituency, a day before she visited Lucknow for the first time after taking over as Congress general secretary.

"For BJP or for me, Priyanka Gandhi is not an issue as Rahul Gandhi is already a failure and Priyanka will also prove to be a failure soon," he added.

Congress leader M Veerappa Moily and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti were among those who criticised him for his anti-women remarks.

"I strongly condemn sexist & inappropriate remarks made by @BJP4India MP Harish Dwivedi on Smt. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. BJP MPs are repeated offenders when it comes to sexist remarks. This just reflects their patriarchal & misogynistic mindset," Moily said on Twitter.

What a woman chooses to wear is nobody's business but her own, added Mehbooba.

"Sadly even in todays modern world, patriarchy plus brazen sexism always raises its ugly head & is normalised. What a woman chooses to wear is none of anybodys business. Anyone who indulges in such talk clearly needs therapy so I hope he gets well soon," the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister tweeted.

Last month, BJP MLA Surendra Singh called Priyanka Gandhi Surpanakha and her brother, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Raavan.