Amid the ongoing controversy over Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s birth control remark, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) Spokesperson Clyde Crasto attacked BJP leaders, stating that they are racking up the issue and saying that if the BJP is raising questions about Nitish Kumar, then they should talk about their people too.
The NCP leader said that no one has the right to use any derogatory words against any woman, but it should not be two different measuring methods for two different people.
“No one has the right to use any derogatory words against any woman. Nitish Kumar has even apologised. The BJP has a habit of taking up any topic and making an issue of it. Their people have also insulted women and used derogatory remarks against them a lot of times,” Crasto said.
“It is good that they are raising voices because no one has the right to say anything derogatory against women but it should not be two different measuring rods for two different people. If the BJP is raising questions about Nitish Kumar, then they should talk about their people too. The BJP has no right to speak against CM Nitish Kumar, as their own leaders are always speaking derogatoryly against women and they have no respect for women,” the NCP leader added.
Chaotic scenes were witnessed in the Bihar Assembly during the ongoing Winter Session on Wednesday as opposition members rushed to raise slogans against CM Nitish Kumar over his objectionable remarks on birth control.
As the BJP mounted a spate of scathing attacks, Kumar on Wednesday apologised for his remarks in the assembly.
“I apologise, and I take back my words,” he told reporters after BJP legislators did not allow him to enter the legislative assembly.
On Tuesday, speaking on the floor of the Assembly, the Bihar Chief Minister said women should be educated as it would enable them to avoid sexual intercourse resulting in pregnancy.
Addressing the Winter Session of the Assembly during a debate on caste census on Tuesday, the CM made bizarre remarks while underscoring the need for girls’ education to check population growth in the state.
Kumar, in his address to the Assembly, claimed that the fertility rate of the state, which was earlier at 4.3 percent, has now dropped to 2.9 percent, per a report last year.
His remarks drew outrage from the BJP as well as the chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW), who demanded that he tender an unconditional apology.
Defending Nitish Kumar, Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav said that it was wrong to misinterpret the Chief Minister’s remarks as he was speaking about sex education.
“Let me tell you one thing. It is wrong if someone misinterprets it. The remarks of the CM were regarding sex education. People are hesitant whenever the topic of sex education is discussed. This is now taught in schools. Science and biology are taught in schools. Children learn it. He said what should be done practically to stop the increase in population. This should not be taken in a wrong manner. It should be taken as a sex education,” Yadav said.