A senior BJP leader has stocked a controversy with a statement where he expressed his disapproval of girls dressed in what he considers to be "vulgar" clothing, saying that they look like "Shurpnakha."

The man in question, Kailash Vijayvargiya, made the comment at a religious function organised in Indore on Thursday to mark the birth anniversaries of Lord Hanuman and Mahavir.

"When I go out at night and see young people intoxicated, I feel like giving them five-seven [slaps] to sober them up. I swear to God," he said.

"And the girls wear such dirty clothes... we think of women as goddesses... there's no trace of that in them. They look like Shurpanakha. God has given you a good body, wear nice clothes. Please teach your children well, I am very worried," he added.

For the unversed, Shurpnakha is the sister of the demon king Ravana. She is depicted as an ugly and lustful creature who tries to seduce Lord Ram and his brother Lakshman. When they reject her advances, she attacks them and Lakshman cuts off her nose and ears.

The clip has now gone viral and has been widely criticized, with many people pointing out the sexist and moralistic nature of his comments. 

Congress spokesperson Sangeeta Sharma said, "BJP leaders humiliate women again and again. It shows their thinking and their attitude. BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya ji calling women as Shurpankha and making objectionable comments on their dress is appropriate in independent India. Apologize BJP!"