Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday made his disagreement clear over the laws being considered by a few Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled states to control population. Assam and Uttar Pradesh have proposed draft bill on population control triggering sharp reactions from the Opposition. Nitish Kumar's Janta Dal-United (JD-U) is an ally of the BJP in Bihar and at the Centre.
When asked about his views on the draft bill, Nitish Kumar told reporters in Patna,"It's not possible to ensure population control with a law."
"I believe it is not possible (to control population with a law)...take China or any other country's example," the chief minister added.
ALSO READ: Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath unveils New Population Policy 2021-30
Nitish Kumar emphasized that educating women was more important. "Everyone will benefit if women are educated. Bihar's fertility rate is reducing now," he said.
Opposition slams UP Govt
Opposition parties have hit out at the Uttar Pradesh government over the proposed draft bill on population control, with the Samajwadi Party terming it as an "election propaganda" while a Congress leader asked the state government to tell how many "legitimate and illegitimate children" its ministers have.
The remarks come a day after the Uttar Pradesh Population Policy 2021-2030 was unveiled by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to steady the growing population in the state and reduce maternal and infant deaths in a time-bound manner.
ALSO READ: Population control primary condition for establishment of advanced society: Yogi Adityanath
The 40-page policy document mentions that "attempts would be made to ensure there is a population balance among various communities in the state.
"Before making the law government should tell how many legitimate and illegitimate children its ministers have. Politicians should declared how many children they have.
I will also declare how many I have and then it should be discussed," veteran Congress leader Salman Khurshid told reporters.
When asked to elaborate on his statement on legitimate and illegitimate children, he said, "Those who consider it wrong should talk to me".
(With PTI inputs)
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