Union Tourism and Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma sparked a row on Sunday when he said that women who visit India should not wear skirts and should avoid going out alone at night in small towns. He said, “When a foreign tourist reaches the airport, he or she is given a welcome kit wherein dos and don’ts are mentioned that include suggestions that if they are in small cities, they should not roam alone at night nor wear dresses like skirts.”

He, however, clarified that the ministry was not imposing a dress code for tourists, reported the Hindustan Times. Sharma said, “Why should we indulge in suggesting a dress code for visitors? We are not telling them what to wear and what not to wear.” The minister added that as a precautionary measure, they always ask the tourists to take pictures of the numberplates of taxis they are travelling in and share it with their friends.

On Monday, however, Sharma was reported by NDTV as saying he did not ask anyone to change their way of dressing. He said, "I am a father of two daughters...I would never tell women what they should wear or not. Our culture is Atithi Devobhava (the guest is almost like God). Such a ban is unimaginable, but it is not a crime to be cautious." He added that other countries often issued advisories regarding attire but that he never asked anyone to "change their way of dressing".

His remark has triggered outrage from Opposition parties including the Congress and Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party.