BJP leader Jayakaran Gupta: 'Ladies who wore skirts, now wear saris'

In what could snowball into a controversy, BJP leader Jayakaran Gupta made a derogatory remark at an election rally here on Tuesday.

"The lady who used to wear skirts is now wearing saris and going to temples for worship. The ones who used to stay away from Gangajal are now consuming the holy water," said Gupta.

Recently Congress General Secretary for UP East, Priyanka Gandhi, during her Ganga Yatra from Prayagraj to Varanasi had offered prayers at temples and holy sites along the banks of River Ganga.

However, Gupta claimed that the remark was not aimed at Priyanka Gandhi. "That comment was not aimed at anyone in particular, BJP does not do politics to gain power. We want power to protect the culture of India and to make it corruption free. Under the able leadership of PM Modi, Nitin Gadkari ji carried out the cleaning of Ganga.

Crores of people came from other countries as well for the Kumbh; those who used to wear skirts too came in saris," Gupta told ANI.

He went on to add: "Sitharaman ji, Sushma ji, Smriti ji all of them have added value to the Indian tradition of wearing saris. Crores of foreigners came to the Ganga and even went to temples. My comments, therefore, are not aimed at anyone directly."

Uttar Pradesh will see polling in all seven phases of the Lok Sabha 2019 elections beginning April 11.

-ANI