Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism Mahesh Sharma has a new travel advisory for  visiting women tourists. He thinks they should avoid wearing skirts if they are in small cities.

Speaking at an event in Agra on Sunday, the minister said that tourists are given a welcome card on their arrival in India, and the dos and don’ts on the card include a suggestion to women not to roam alone at night and not to wear skirts. Sharma was quoted as saying, “When a foreign tourist reaches the airport, he or she is given a welcome kit wherein dos and don’ts are mentioned for them during their stay in India”.

“These dos and don’ts include suggestions that if they are in small cities, they should not roam alone at night nor wear dresses like skirts,” he said. “We also suggest them to click photographs of number plate of cabs they are travelling in and send it to their friends so that the number is stored and circulated,” added Sharma.

The minister said that India is a “cultural country” with a “different dress code” for temples.

“Kindly keep that in mind while dressing up,” Sharma said. When asked if he was recommending a dress code for tourists, he clarified, “We are not telling them what to wear and what not to wear. We are only saying that when they go out at night, they should be careful. We have no right to try and change anyone’s clothes or way of thinking.”

Despite his clarification, Sharma was widely criticised on Twitter for his statements.

While most criticised Sharma for his views, there were also those who supported him.