All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi tore into RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat over his call for Indian couples to keep population under control. Bhagwat had said that Indians should have three children to keep the “population controlled” and “enough” at the same time.
‘Who is he to interfere?’
Owaisi asked who he is to interfere in the personal lives of the people, adding that he is putting unnecessary pressure on women who already go through a lot. He termed it a classic case of “double speak”.
“And now you are saying, okay, give birth to three children. Who are you to enter into people’s lives? Why are you trying to put a burden on Indian women, who might have their own different priorities in their lives?” he asked via news agency PTI.
Owaisi, in conversation with PTI, further said, “This is a classic double speak of RSS.”
‘PM blamed Muslims for more children and now…’
In an interview with NDTV, he strongly criticised PM Modi for blaming Muslims for having more children, adding that now Bhagwat urges people to give birth to more children. He also blamed RSS and other organisations for “spreading anti-Muslim hatred”.
“Let’s not forget that PM Modi said in his 2019 Independence Day speech that there must be population control. One should never forget what he said in Rajasthan during the 2024 parliament elections, wherein he blamed the Muslims for giving birth to more children,” he was quoted by NDTV as saying.
He further added, “Now, suddenly, Bhagwat says have more children?”
He also quoted the 2011 Census, arguing that the Muslim population growth rate had declined to 14.23 per cent, while Hindus continued to make up nearly 80 per cent of the population.
Bhagwat further added that 65 per cent of youth, who are under the age of 35, are unemployed, blaming PM Modi and Bhagwat for that.
‘Ham do, hamare teen’
On Thursday, Bhagwat gave a call of “ham do, hamare teen” to keep the population in check and “enough” at the same time.
“Doctors have told me that marrying at the right age and having three children ensures that both the parents and children remain healthy. Children in homes with three siblings also learn ego management, and there is no disturbance in their family life in the future. This is what doctors have said…,” he further said, before adding, “Our country’s population recommends a birth rate of 2.1, which is fine as an average, but you can never have 0.1 of a child. In math, 2.1 becomes 2, but when it comes to births, after two, it has to be three.”
“There is a concern as well. Population can be a boon, but it can be a burden as well. You have to feed everyone at the end of the day. This is why the population policy exists. So, to ensure that the population remains controlled and enough at the same time, every family should have three children, but not too many more than that. This is to ensure their upbringing is proper. This is something everyone should accept,” he stressed.