KOLKATA: Actor-turned-TMC MLA Chiranjit Chakraborty on Friday courted controversy by suggesting that women should be conscious of their surroundings while dressing.
Chakraborty's remark, which he claimed was not a diktat but a "suggestion", nevertheless, triggered an angry reaction from the BJP which called it "uncalled for" and maintained that women have the right to choose what to wear.
He made the remark while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a party meeting in Barasat constituency in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, where he is seeking re- election.
"I am not issuing any dress code, but only offering my suggestion as you (reporters) have asked. One (a woman) should wear a dress keeping in mind the occasion," Chakraborty said, when asked whether he stood by his remark made in 2012 on women's dressing.
"A woman should wear different outfits for a funeral and a discotheque. What she should wear while travelling on a crowded train may differ from her attire at a party. Everyone knows that, everyone is aware of that," he said.
The sitting MLA claimed women feel safe and secure in his constituency.
Chakraborty, while visiting Barasat police station in 2012 to enquire about the progress of an eve-teasing case, had triggered a controversy by saying that women should be conscious of what they wear as all dresses are not appropriate for everywhere and sometimes can look provocative.
He had said that fashion is always evolving but its application has to change keeping time and place in mind to make it more meaningful.
However, he had later claimed that the media had distorted his comments and taken them out of context and asserted that he never believed in imposing a diktat on women.
Nevertheless, his fresh remark too drew flak from the BJP.
"Chakraborty's comments are uncalled for and an affront on a woman's freedom of choosing her attire. Every woman knows what to wear in what circumstances," BJP leader Locket Chatterjee, who was also an actor, said.