RSS chief Bhagwat says ‘fertility rate must be 3’, Owaisi asks 'will you pay the parents'
RSS chief said that India's declining population is a concerning, adding that according to science, a society vanishes when its fertility rate falls below 2.1.
A war of words broke out between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its rival All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen's (AIMIM) supremo Asadudddin Owaisi over Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat's remark that a “fertility rate of three" is required "for the society to survive.”
Chief of RSS, regarded as the ideological parent of BJP, on Sunday stated that India's declining population is a concerning issue, noting that according to modern population science, a society vanishes when its fertility rate falls below 2.1.
He also underlined that the fertility rate should be above two or should be three for the society to survive.
Also Read: Mallikarjun Kharge accuses BJP of ignoring RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's advice, dividing society
Addressing the Kathale Kul Sammelan in Maharashtra's Nagpur, Bhagwat said, "The decline in population is a matter of concern. Modern population science says that when the fertility rate of a society goes below 2.1, that society vanishes from the earth. The society gets destroyed even without any crisis. In this way, many languages and societies have disappeared. The population should not fall below 2.1. Our country's population policy was decided in 1998 or 2002, and it also mentions that the population of a society should not be less than 2.1. We need more than two or three; this is what population science says. The number is important for the survival of society," Bhagwat said, addressing the Kathale Kul Sammelan in Nagpur.
Owaisi's dig at Mohan Bhagwat
Taking a dig at Mohan Bhagwat's remark, AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi questioned whether the RSS chief would give ₹1,500 to people who have more children.
"I want to ask Mohan Bhagwat, what will he give people for giving birth to more children? Will he give ₹1,500 into the bank accounts of those who give birth to more children? Will he introduce a scheme for this?... When Mohan Bhagwat is trying to make someone close to him the CM, he might as well introduce a scheme for this," news agency ANI quoted Owaisi as saying.
Congress leader Tariq Anwar also took a swipe at the RSS chief for his remark, saying that the Sangh family seemed confused.
"The Sangh family seems confused. On one hand, BJP leaders allege that Muslims are having more children, that their population is increasing, and it should be stopped with a limit of two children. On the other hand, Mohan Bhagwat is saying that the population should not decrease because it is harmful to our civilization and heritage," Anwar said.
BJP defends Bhagwat
Hitting back at Bhagwat's criticism, Union Minister Giriraj Singh questioned Owaisi "silence" on issues of Hindus. "Owaisi is such a person - when the platinum jubilee of the constitution was being celebrated, he was absent during the national anthem and national song. He always talks about Muslims - even he was talking about Palestine, but why he is silent on the issues of Hindus in Bangladesh? Why Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav and others are silent on this issue?" Singh told ANI.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi also said questioned the court order of a survey in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal, which led to deadly violence on November 24. Owaisi asked if the petition over a Mughal-era mosque at Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh had prayed for the right to access, then why a court there ordered a survey of the structure.
Owaisi said such issues weaken the country, which is facing inflation, unemployment, farmer suicides and other issues.
Speaking on the Sambhal incident and violence against minority communities in Bangladesh, Union Minister Giriraj Singh said that the radicals are committing atrocities on Hindus.
"I think the way the radicals are committing atrocities on Hindus, they [Hindus] are not allowed to leave, legally, saints are being imprisoned. India has shown a tough stance, but the world must intervene in it," Singh said.
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