Don't wear skirts in India': Tourism minister's advice' to women backfires

Mathura: Union Minister Mahesh Sharma courted a controversy on Sunday after he suggested women tourists not to wear skirts in India.

Sharma, who is Union Minister of State (independent charge) for Tourism and Culture, was addressing the media in Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura and said that tourists arriving at the airport are given a welcome kit of the dos and don'ts of the country. The card advises women not to roam alone at night and not to wear skirts.

“These dos and don’ts include suggestions that if they are in small cities, they should not roam alone at night nor wear dresses like skirts. We also suggest them to click photographs of number plate of cabs they are travelling in and send it to their friends so that the number is stored and circulated,” said Sharma.

The minister’s comments received backlash on social media. Twitterati asked him to also curb rape and molestation.