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Bollywood actor-turned-politico Jaya Prada is speaking out after being subjected to sexism by her political nemesis Azam Khan, reports Hindustan Times.

Prada and Khan were once colleagues in India's Samajwadi Party, but the three-time MP is now a BJP candidate and is standing against Khan in the Rampur constituency in the ongoing elections.

Their rivalry has manifested in a couple of sexist episodes, the latest one being when Khan spoke of Prada at a recent rally.

“I brought her (Jaya Prada) to Rampur. You are a witness that I did not allow anyone to touch her body. It took you 17 years to identify her real face but I got to know in 17 days that she wears khaki underpants,” Khan said, referencing to the colours of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which is his rival party BJP’s ideological powerhouse.

This comment has cost Khan who was subsequently banned from campaigning for 72 hours by India's Election Commission and was given a show-cause notice by the National Commission for Women.

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Prada has responded to Khan's remarks, saying: "See, it’s not new to me. He is a victim of his habits. But even by his own low standards, he has crossed all the limits.

"I shudder to think what would happen if such a man gets elected. Who would guarantee safety and security of girls and women? I am happy that an FIR has been lodged against him and I hope that the law will take its own course."

Last year, Khan referred to Prada as a naachne gaane wali (singing, dancing woman) after she said that Alauddin Khilji's character in Padmaavat reminded her of how Khan harassed her when she was contesting elections from Rampur in 2009.

He said, "In Padmaavat, I heard Khilji's character is very bad. Padmavati left this world before Khilji's arrival. But now, a woman, a naachne waali (dancer), has made some remark about me. Tell me, if I entertain this 'naachne gaane wali', how will I concentrate on politics?"

Prada has also accused Khan of circulating nude photos of her during the 2009 elections.