Priyanka was in the city to attend a UNICEF event as its Goodwill Ambassador to spread awareness about the NGOs "Fair Start" Campaign on gender disparity in literacy and the "mindset change" required to address that.
When asked to comment on the Salman's remarks, Priyanka said, "First of all it was not a joke. At a forum on equality and empowerment of young children why talk about callous remarks. It's sad that the media chooses to focus on something that is not as important."
"Public responsibility for public people is an individual choice... I don't blame you for a callous question... I don't want to add to the clutter and would rather talk about more important issues," the 33-year-old actress added.
Talking about the role of cinema in bringing about social change, she said, "Celebrities or public people, not through their work, but through their personality and who they are should have a sense of public responsibility. Not just filmstars but any public personality should have that sense of responsibility."
Priyanka's comments come a day after another Bollywood superstar, Aamir Khan, called Salman's remarks "unfortunate and insensitive".
The actor, 50, had kicked up a storm when he compared himself to a raped woman while taking about the the physically gruelling shoot of "Sultan" during a group interview last month.