Assam Minister Defends Priyanka Chopra’s Outfit On Tourism Calendar

A day after the opposition Congress legislators in the Assam Legislative Assembly demanded a removal of Priyanka Chopra as the brand ambassador of Assam tourism, State Tourism Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma came to her rescue and said that a section of the Congress legislators are trying to get cheap publicity out of the issue.

Congress legislators including Nandita Das and Rupjyoti Kurmi recently raised objections during the ongoing session of the Assam legislative assembly to a photograph of the Bollywood star in ‘minimal clothes’ as featured in a calendar of the Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) and demanded that she be removed as the brand ambassador of Assam tourism.

The Congress legislators also showed a copy of the ATDC calendar where Priyanka was seen wearing a frock and not the traditional dress of Assam – Mekhela chador.

“A section of Congress legislators in Assam are trying to get cheap publicity out of the issue. When we receive felicitation in some stage do we go wearing dhoti, the traditional dress of Assam or wearing pants and shirts? If someone comes to Assam from abroad will he be felicitated after wearing dhoti?,” said Sarma while answering a journalist outside the House on Tuesday.

Congress leader and Assam’s Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia said that it would have been better if the brand ambassador had worn Assam’s traditional dress during the photo-shoot for the calendar of ATDC.

“I think that (wearing an Assamese traditional dress) would have been appropriate for the actor to promote the culture and tradition of Assam,” he said.