Andhra Pradesh DGP V Dinesh Reddy, who landed in a controversy for his remarks linking women's fashionable dresses to the increase in rape cases, on Monday justified his comments saying that he did not mean to degrade women, but he only mentioned a "social study".

The state police chief had sparked a controversy on Friday, when he attributed the increase in rape cases to women provoking men by wearing "flimsy and fashionable" clothing.

Reddy had said that police could not be faulted for the rise in rape cases and had instead blamed women for provoking people with fashionable clothing.

"I had said that provocative fashionable dresses, was perhaps one of the factors (behind the increase in the rape cases). But I did not say that it was 'the factor'," the director general of Police told PTI, clarifying on his comment.

The top cop's remarks had earned the wrath of the political parties and women organisations, who strongly condemned it.

He pointed out that Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit had also said that the 'revealing and provocative dresses of women', was a reason for the increase in rape cases in Delhi, when she had been repeatedly asked by the press three months ago.

"I replied to a query keeping in mind a social study and Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit's comment, when (I was) asked by the media-persons about the reason for increase in the number of rape cases in the state," Reddy said.

The DGP said keeping these two things in mind, he had said that provoking fashionable dresses is perhaps one of the reasons for the increase in rape cases.

He blamed the media for "creating" a controversy and further alleged that "selfish interests, indulging in this type of twisting things and blowing them out of proportion, would not be good for the society."

"How can it be justified and how can it be ethical on the part of the journalists' community?" he questioned.

"In fact, raising such issues and projecting some items is an insult to women also and they (media) are doing injustice to the society," he added.

He asked if a DGP was being subjected to this kind of "blackmailing", what could be the fate of a common man in the hands of media.

Reddy urged the media "not to unduly sensationalise non-issues, which would not help and do any good to society."

While the comment of the DGP was vehemently condemned by women activists, two senior women IPS officers, who were present at the annual press conference organised to apprise the activities of police during 2011, issued a joint statement in support of the DGP charging that the media twisted the DGP's statement and blown it out of proportion.

Two Senior IPS officers- Tejdeep Kaur Menon (additional DGP, Training) and A R Anuradha (IGP, Law and Order) said, "We are pained and deeply hurt over the twisting of the DGP's statement and blowing it out of proportion and context by a section of the media. What all our DGP stated was to a pointed query about increase in rapes. We strongly condemn such motivated and selfish attempts to sensationalise the statement of the DGP, who was known for championing the cause of women," they said in a statement.