One the list of dumb things to do, dressing up as Hitler is probably near the very top. Especially if you're in the public eye, as Prince Harry found out a few years ago.
If you're a politician, it's probably an even worse idea, even if you claim there's a valid reason for doing so. Which is what 67-year-old Naramalli Sivaprasad is saying after he attended parliament wearing a fake moustache and swastika armband as part of his Hitler costume.
It's not the first time that the former actor, who's from the state of Andhra Pradesh and belongs to the state's ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has dressed up to register his dissent. Previous costumes include a Hindu god, a mythological character, a spiritual guru and a woman.
"What I am doing will grab attention quickly," he told BBC Telugu. "It will make people think."
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Or react viscerally, which is what it seems to have done. And given how much more controversial this outfit is than any of his previous ones, probably rightly so.
Mr Sivaprasad said he was protesting the federal government's refusal to grant 'special category' to Andhra Pradesh, something which would ensure more funds for development.
When asked why he dressed up as the notorious Nazi leader, Mr Sivaprasad said: "I have a reason for everything I do. Hitler never sought anyone's counsel and he did not work for the welfare of people."
His point seems to be that that's also what current Indian prime minister Narendra Modi is doing, saying that when he won the election in 2014 he offered "great expectations and hopes" that his government was not living up to.
Whether that was his intention or not, social media users have been pointing out how crass and inappropriate his actions were.
One Twitter user wrote: "An elected MP attended parliament dressed as Hitler - the man who sent millions to their deaths in gas chambers and war. It only caused amusement. Any surprise then that hate is so normalised in India."
Earlier this year, an Indian publisher came under fire for including Adolf Hitler in a children's book about inspiring leaders who 'devoted their lives for the betterment of their country and people'.
Which, really, the less said about that, the better. But no.
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