When contacted, Mamta Sharma said her comments should be taken in "positive sense" instead of highlighting it as a "negative comment".
National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Mamta Sharma today said the word "sexy" should not be taken in a negative context as it means "beautiful and charming", but her argument did not go down well with the BJP and women's organisations which termed her remark as shocking and demoralising for women.
Speaking at a function here, Mamta said that the word meant 'beautiful' and 'charming' so it should not be taken in negative sense because problems start when we treat it as negative.
"Boys pass comments on girls terming them sexy but sexy means beautiful and charming. We should not see it in negative sense," she said in the function held by a woman organisation.
Soon after the programme, BJP criticised Sharma and accused her of promoting eve-teasing by giving such statements.
"It is shameful that a woman who holds a responsible position at national level has such thoughts for women," Suman Sharma, BJP's state vice-president, said.
"Her comments are demoralising for women in the country and she should be removed from the NCW immediately if Congress is sensitive towards the feelings of women," she said.
Sharma said that it was very unfortunate that NCW Chairperson instead of protecting the interest of women was talking in such a objectionable manner.
When contacted, Mamta Sharma said her comments should be taken in "positive sense" instead of highlighting it as a "negative comment".
"I was positive in my approach so I said that sexy means beautiful. One should take it in positive sense," the chairperson said.
Women organisations also condemned Sharma's statement.
"It is shocking that Sharma is commenting on how women and girls should receive the word 'sexy'. We are outraged and shocked at by what she has said.
"It is unfortunate," said the women organisations in a joint statement.
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