New Delhi, June 6 -- Madhya Pradesh minister Kailash Vijayvargiya stirred controversy on Thursday by saying that he doesn't "like women or girls who wear revealing clothes, to the point where I refuse to take photos with them."

He also cited to a western proverb that compared brevity of speech with the choice of clothing of women - a proverb which he said he does not follow. A video of Vijayvargiya's remarks regarding women's clothing was being widely circulated on social media.

Speaking at an event on Thursday, Vijayvargiya said he considered women as a "form of goddess".

"If a girl here (in India) wears good and pretty clothes, does good makeup and wears nice jewellery, then people consider her very beautiful. But abroad, if a [woman...