Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has found himself embroiled in a controversy following remarks he made regarding girls’ education linking it with population growth. The comments, made during a legislative session on Monday, have sparked outrage and calls for the Chief Minister’s resignation because of his choice of words. The BJP has unequivocally condemned his comments in the state assembly, calling them “derogatory” and “offensive” while the National Commission for Women (NCW) has demanded his apology.
In response to Nitish Kumar’s comments, the BJP’s Bihar unit posted on social media platform X, “In the political history of India, there has been no leader as indecent as Nitish Babu. Nitish Babu has a fixation with ‘B-grade’ adult films. Publicly, there should be a ban on his double entendres.”
Union Minister of State Ashwini Choubey described the statement as “shameful” and “worth criticising.” Choubey demanded that the Chief Minister resign and issue an apology to the citizens of the country.
“No parliamentary or assembly member has ever used such derogatory language against women. I saw the video, what he said was not just shameful, but worth criticising. It’s shameful, and he (Nitish Kumar) should resign without delay and apologise to all the citizens of the country. If he doesn’t, demands should be raised to sack him,” Choubey said.
In response to the controversy, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav defended Nitish Kumar’s statements. He argued that CM Nitish’s remarks were related to sex education, a topic that is often considered sensitive and not openly discussed.
“It is wrong to misinterpret (CM’s remarks). His statement was regarding sex education, which people feel shy and hesitant to talk about. Biology is taught in schools. What he meant to say was on how to control population,” the Deputy Chief Minister said, as per PTI.
NCW Chief Rekha Sharma Asks Bihar CM Nitish Kumar To Apologise
Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the NCW, Rekha Sharma said that the commission on behalf of every woman in this country demanded an immediate and unequivocal apology from CM Nitish Kumar.
“His crass remarks in the Vidhan Sabha are an affront to the dignity and respect that every woman deserves. Such derogatory and cheap language used during his speech is a dark stain on our society. If a leader can make such comments so openly in a democracy, one can only imagine the horror the state must be enduring under his leadership. We stand firm against such behaviour and call for accountability,” she posted on X.
The controversy has added fuel to an already heated debate surrounding the quotas for OBCs, SCs, and STs in Bihar. The caste survey undertaken by the government revealed that OBCs, including the extremely backward classes sub-group, constitute a significant portion of the state’s population, approximately 63%. The survey report also highlighted the high percentage of poor families in Bihar, particularly among SCs and STs.
During the session, Nitish Kumar proposed increasing quotas for Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Scheduled Castes (SCs), and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the state. He suggested that legislation to effect this change is likely to be introduced during the ongoing assembly session.
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