DHAKA: A senior minister in Goa’s BJP-led government, Sudin Dhavalikar, has said women should not wear bikinis in beaches ‘for their own safety’, and ‘girls in short skirts visiting pubs’ is against the culture of the popular beach destination.

In response, the Congress Tuesday ordered a pink miniskirt to be dispatched to the home of Dhavalikar, Goa’s Public Works Department Minister.

‘He should see that party clothes do not mean disrespect to one’s culture,’ said Goa Congress spokesperson Durgadas Kamat, reports NDTV.

Dhavalikar, a member of BJP ally Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, had provoked sharp criticism after suggesting on Monday that ‘young girls going to pubs in short dresses is against our culture’.

When NDTV asked him to clarify, he not just defended the comment but went a step further.

‘For their own protection on public beaches, women should not wear bikinis. I am not against wearing bikinis in private places,’ Mr Dhavalikar, 57, said.

‘Pub culture is not Indian culture and we don't want Western culture. Young people go drinking and it often leads to law and order problems. Our sisters and daughters are getting spoilt. Goa was a city of temples and churches. We don't want pub-tourism,’ he added.

BDST: 2044 HRS, JULY 01, 2014