PM Modi slams Nitish Kumar over 'obscene' birth control remark on women

Shubhadeep Choudhury

New Delhi, November 8

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today launched a scathing attack on Bihar CM Nitish Kumar over the latter’s “birth control” remarks in the state Assembly saying he wondered if someone could “stoop so low”.

Nitish apologises, Opposition wants him out

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on Wednesday apologised for his remark in the Assembly and said he was taking his words back. Opposition MLAs, however, continued their protest and pressed for his resignation.

Describing the JD(U) supremo as someone acting as the flag-bearer of INDIA bloc and playing “several games to uproot the Union Government”, PM Modi said the CM said something “unimaginable” inside the Assembly in front of women legislators.

Without naming Nitish, the PM said no INDIA bloc politician objected to the “derogatory comments”. “Will they stoop so low? He has no shame… made obscene remarks. Not even a single INDI alliance leader is ready to say a word against this insult to women. Can they save your (women’s) honour?” PM Modi said at a rally in Madhya Pradesh’s Guna.

Speaking in the Assembly yesterday, Nitish said the husband’s acts led to more births. “But an educated woman knows how to restrain him,” the CM said and explicitly described how an educated woman could avoid getting impregnated despite having unprotected sex.

The remark triggered a massive political row with the BJP demanding Nitish’s resignation. Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said the CM had “lost his mental balance and must keep away from politics”. In a letter to Bihar Assembly Speaker Awadh Bihari Choudhary, the National Commission for Women said it “protests the use of such derogatory and vulgar statements by persons holding responsible positions… shows their extreme disrespect for women”.

Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav downplayed Nitish’s comment. He said the CM’s remarks were regarding sex education. “He (Nitish) said what should be done practically to stop the increase in population. It should be taken as sex education,” he said.