Speaking on the floor of the Assembly recently, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that women should be educated so that they can prevent pregnancy and control the population. This statement has created a controversy and the latest to condemn this statement is Tamil Nadu BJP leader K. Annamalai.
TN BJP President K. Annamalai on Wednesday said, “We condemn it. A senior leader, like Nitish Kumar, has spoken about our mothers and sisters in a way that is very obscene, and we can call this totally cringe-worthy. And very unfortunately, Nitish Kumar after joining the I.N.D.I.A bloc is speaking the language of the DMK party, the DMK party generally uses these words, language. After Nitish Kumar’s statement, our mothers and sisters are feeling offended and outraged. I apologise and will not do any good for the damage he caused yesterday in the Bihar Assembly.”
Annamalai also posted the video of Nitish Kumar speaking on the Assembly floor on his social media and wrote, “It is disheartening to hear such language on the floor of the Assembly by the CM of Bihar, Thiru Nitish Kumar. The effect of being in alliance with the RJD & the I.N.D.I.A bloc is felt and has redefined his idea of women’s empowerment.”
The National Commission for Women (NCM) put out a statement on X (formerly Twitter) on November 7, saying, “National Commission for Women, vehemently condemns the recent statements made by Nitish Kumar in the Vidhan Sabha concerning women’s fertility and education and linking it to the population of the country. Such remarks are not only regressive but also egregiously insensitive to women’s rights and choices. Bihar’s Chief Minister should issue an apology to women across the country for these deeply offensive remarks.”
However, Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav has defended the Bihar CM’s statement and said, “It is wrong if someone misinterprets it. The Chief Minister’s remarks pertained to sex education. People are often hesitant when it comes to sex education. It is now being taught in schools just as other subjects are. Children are learning about it. He only said what should be done to control the population. His words should be taken in their proper sense.”