Nitish’s ‘birth control tips’ in Bihar assembly spark row, NCW says ‘apologise to all of India’s women’

CM was talking about his efforts towards improving girls’ education & linking it with population control. Deputy CM Tejashwi says Nitish was talking about sex education.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar addresses during the Winter Session at the state assembly in Patna Tuesday | ANI

Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Tuesday faced brickbats from the Opposition after he appeared to make obscene remarks in the state assembly while speaking about his efforts towards improving girls’ education and linking it with population control.

Replying to a two hour debate on the socio-economic survey tabled by the government, Nitish said, “Agar padh legi ladki, aur woh jab shaadi hoga ladka ladki mein, toh jo purush hai, woh toh roj raat ko…uske saat karta hai na, toh usi mein aur paida ho jaata hai. Aur ladki padh leti hai, toh humko maloom tha, ki woh karega theek hai, lekin antim mein bhitar mat ghusao, usko baahar kar do…aur karta toh hai…toh usi mein, aap samajh lijiye, sankhya ghat rahi hai (If a girl is educated, and she gets married, the man does it with her every night, and more are born. If a girl is educated, he will still do it, but at the last moment, don’t keep it inside, take it out, you understand what you have to, the numbers (birth rate) are falling).” He made the same remarks in the legislative council later.

In the assembly, the chief minister was reacting to BJP MLA Nand Kishore Yadav’s remark that only 7 percent of Bihar’s population were graduates. “No wonder you do not get candidates when you advertise for jobs,” Yadav said.

After the house adjourned for the day, the BJP demanded that Nitish issue a public apology to women. The National Commission for Women (NCW) too demanded an “immediate and unequivocal apology” for remarks that “are not only regressive but also egregiously insensitive to women’s rights and choices”. 

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…

— NCW (@NCWIndia) November 7, 2023

Meanwhile, the Bihar CM’s deputy Tejashwi Yadav appeared to defend the remarks, saying that Nitish was talking about sex education and that his comment should not be taken wrongly.

Speaking to ThePrint, BJP MLA Haribhushan Thakur said, “The CM should issue a public apology to women for his remarks inside the assembly. Such language used by the CM was unexpected, he is losing his frame of mind. He even was quoting wrong dates during his speech. Sathiya gaye hain (He has lost it).” 

This is not the first time Nitish has been accused of making obscene remarks. In 2020, during a joint meeting of the NDA, he had lost his cool with BJP MLA Nikki Hembrom for criticising the functioning of his government. “Badi khoobsurat lagti ho, kuch gyan rakho (You are very beautiful, but have some knowledge also),” he had allegedly remarked. Hembrom had complained to the BJP leadership, but the party was going all out to keep Nitish in good humour at the time. 

When BJP leaders were demanding a population control law to check the increase in population in 2021, Nitish had stressed that there was no need for a law and the solution was to educate women. “But he could have avoided the words he used today,” said a minister, not wanting to be named.

(Edited by Gitanjali Das)