Courting controversies seems to have become second nature for Madhya Pradesh minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, who has landed in trouble multiple times over objectionable remarks and is currently facing criticism for comments on the Indore water crisis.

The BJP leader triggered a political firestorm after using an objectionable word on camera when questioned by a TV journalist about a deadly water contamination crisis in his own constituency in Indore.

Vijayvargiya, who handles Urban Development, Housing and Parliamentary Affairs, snapped at a reporter asking about a vomiting and diarrhoea outbreak in the Bhagirathpura area of Indore-1, which falls under his assembly segment.

On Wednesday night, the 69-year-old politician initially answered questions calmly. However, he lost his temper when asked why residents had not been reimbursed for private hospital bills and why clean water arrangements remained inadequate.

"Don't ask a worthless (fokat) question," the minister said.

When the reporter continued pressing for an answer, the exchange escalated, and Vijayvargiya used the term "ghanta," a slang often meaning "nonsense" or "rubbish," to dismiss the question. The journalist asked the minister to mind his language.

The video of the interaction has gone viral on social media. After facing criticism, Vijayvargiya issued a statement on social media expressing regret for his conduct.

Latching onto the remarks, Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee president Jitu Patwari demanded the BJP minister’s resignation, accusing him of arrogance and insensitivity.

This is the latest in a series of controversial statements by Vijayvargiya. In August 2025, he called India’s independence achieved on August 15, 1947, a "kati-fati" (fragmented or truncated) freedom.

Speaking on Independence Day in Indore, he expressed the vision of an "Akhand Bharat" and said a day would come when the Indian flag would be hoisted in Islamabad, fulfilling the dream of a "truly unified and complete India."

The Congress accused him of insulting India’s independence movement and freedom fighters, while the BJP said he was criticising past governance.

In October 2025, Vijayvargiya faced criticism over remarks on the alleged molestation of two Australian women cricketers in Indore.

He said the players should have informed authorities before leaving their hotel and described the incident as a "lesson" for both authorities and the cricketers.

He added, "Stressing that cricketers are extremely popular in India, players must inform their security or the local administration before going out in public."

In April 2023, he sparked outrage by saying at a religious function in Indore that girls wearing "bad or skimpy dresses" look like 'Shurpanakha' (sister of demon king Ravana in the Ramayana).

In June 2025, he commented on women wearing “skimpy clothes,” insisting it was a foreign concept of beauty and not in line with Indian tradition.

"If a girl here (in India) wears good and pretty clothes, does good makeup and wears nice jewellery, then people consider her very beautiful. But abroad, if a (woman) wears less clothing, then it is considered good. Now, this is their (foreigners’) thinking,” Vijayvargiya said.