Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra criticised senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya on Friday for comparing women dressed in “vulgar clothes” to Suparnakha, a female demon depicted in the epic, The Ramayana.

Speaking at an event in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, on 5 April to commemorate Mahavir Jayanti, as reported by news agency ANI, the BJP’s national general secretary sparked controversy with his comments comparing women who wear “gandi” (vulgar) clothes to Surpanakha.

Moitra said (video above), “Our clothes aren’t “gandi”, your “soch” (mentality) is.”

“When women step out in vulgar attire, it shatters our perception of them as goddesses,” Vijayvargiya had said (video below). “They no longer have that divine aura, they resemble Surpanakha.”

Vijayvargiya’s comments received widespread criticism from the opposition and social media users alike. Moitra, who shared a video clip of her recent press briefing, took to Twitter and wrote, “A Friday morning message for BJP leaders & bhakts.” In the video, she can be heard saying, “We’re Bengali women, we wear what we want. We eat what we want. We worship who we want. Our clothes will remain the same, what needs to be changed is your mentality.”