Drawing flak for his unsavoury comments in the assembly a day before, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar apologised for the same and took back his words.
“I take back my words and apologise for my remarks,” said Nitish, while talking to reporters.
The CM was on the dock for his comments on how an educated married girl can contribute in population control by guiding her husband.
More than the context and content of the subject, what has drawn flak is the way he graphically explained his view on the floor of the house.
The CM used exaggerated hand gestures and vivid language to describe how an educated married girl could ask her husband to not complete the sexual act to ensure she does not get impregnated.
“When an educated girl gets married, she can help in population control by stopping her husband from impregnating her and this has actually helped in population control,” Nitish Kumar said much to the surprise of many women members in the assembly.
The opposition BJP immediately latched on to the opportunity to corner the CM, calling Kumar’s remarks “most misogynistic, vulgar and patriarchal”, and demanded his resignation.
BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, “The language used by Nitish Kumar inside the assembly is most vulgar, indecent, most misogynistic, sexist and patriarchal … This is the mindset of the CM of Bihar. Imagine what will be the plight of women of Bihar if such language is spoken in the Bihar assembly,” he added.
The party charged Kumar with “bringing shame” to the state’s women by speaking of the procreation process in detail.
BJP MLAs Gayatri Devi and Sweety Hembram told reporters that “age has caught up with the CM who seems to have lost all sense of propriety”.
“Whatever he was saying could have been said with dignity. He is insensitive and he does not respect women,” said Hembram.
State BJP president Samrat Choudhary, who is a member of the legislative council, said Kumar had brought “shame to 6.5 crore women of Bihar”.
“I request him with folded hands to be mindful of his words and deeds … This is not the first time when the CM’s behaviour in public has been indiscreet. I think it will not be long before women and girls start shying away from attending his functions,” he said.
Meanwhile, Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav defended his boss and said, “It is wrong if someone misinterprets what the chief minister said. The statement of the CM was regarding sex education. People are hesitant whenever the topic of sex education is discussed. But this is now taught in schools. Science and biology are part of curriculum in schools and children learn it.”
“The chief minister 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,” Tejashwi said in defence of Nitish Kumar.
Also Read: Support For ‘Untraceable’ AAP MLA Grows; Cong Grills BJP
