Narendra Modi faces flack over his remark on Girls Malnutrition in Gujarat

Gujarat Chief Minister and a strong Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) leader Narendra Modi has come at the target of opposition parties over his controversial statement on high rates of girls malnutrition in Gujarat, in which he said that Gujarat's girls are more beauty conscious, she looks their weight ahead of taking food.

This statement was made by Modi in an interview with a popular English News Daily 'Wall Street journal'.

Modi's statement has irked Congress that have alleged Modi for insulting the women of Gujarat.

Attacking on Modi, Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia Thursday said, "This statement is not only a joke on women, but also an insult to the women of Gujarat. In Gujarat, 55 percent women are anemic, and 45 percent children are underweight and 23 percent children are malnourished."

"Most anemic women are tribals, and tell me from where are they beauty conscious," Modhwadia asked.

"Reason for this is that Gujarat is spending less on the health of its citizens," he added.

Modhwadia asked Modi to take back his statement and apologize to the women of Gujarat.

"He (Modi) should either take back the statement or apologize to women of Gujarat and should focus on the health of women and the children," asked Modhwadia.

Modi made the controversial statement during an interview in which he linked the state's malnutrition to vegetarianism and figure-conscious girls.

"Gujarat is by and large a vegetarian state. And secondly, Gujarat is also a middle-class state. The middle-class is more beauty-conscious than health-conscious - that is a challenge. If a mother tells her daughter to have milk, they'll have a fight. She'll tell her mother, 'I won't drink milk. I'll get fat'," Modi said in the interview.

Modi's bizarre reply came after he was reportedly asked about the high rate of malnourishment in children in his state.

--With ANI Inputs--