Nitish Kumar statement video leaked, Under attack for crude remark
One day after his controversial statement in the State Assembly regarding the role of women’s education in population control, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar issued apologies both within and outside the House. However, the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state demanded Mr. Kumar’s resignation, leading to protests within the Assembly. Furthermore, the National Commission for Women (NCW) took note of the Chief Minister’s contentious remarks, prompting a complaint filed against him in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district.
“If my words have caused any hurt, I retract them. I apologize for whatever I said. I not only feel ashamed but also condemn myself for making such comments,” Mr. Kumar stated amidst the uproar created by BJP legislators inside the Assembly, as they demanded his resignation over the “derogatory” comments.
“I did not intend to hurt anyone with my words. I have always maintained that education is essential for population control, and I have always supported women’s empowerment and their development,” he further clarified.
During a debate on the caste survey report in the Assembly on Tuesday, Mr. Kumar remarked, “The fertility rate in the State has decreased from 4.3% to 2.9% due to women’s education. An educated woman can ensure that sexual activity does not necessarily lead to pregnancy, thus helping to control the population.”
Despite his apology on Wednesday, BJP legislators continued their protest, storming into the well of the House with placards demanding Mr. Kumar’s resignation, and denouncing his statement as “vulgar,” “shameful,” and “sexist.” The Speaker of the House, Awadh Bihari Choudhary, had to adjourn the session twice on Wednesday. The BJP legislators also continued their protest outside the Assembly.
“He is unfit to be the Chief Minister of the State now. We demand his immediate resignation for his vulgar and disgraceful comment made inside the State Assembly on November 7. It seems he has lost his mental balance,” stated the Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly and senior BJP leader Vijay Kumar Sinha. “His deputy in the cabinet is talking about sex education. Both of them lack character,” he added.
Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav defended Mr. Kumar’s comments, stating, “One must not misinterpret it. People are sometimes embarrassed to talk about it, but sex education is taught in schools. It is a part of biology, and children study it.”
During a campaign rally in Madhya Pradesh’s Guna, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also criticized Mr. Kumar’s “indecent language.”
“He has brought disgrace to all of us; the entire state feels embarrassed because of what he said on Tuesday inside the Assembly,” said BJP leader and party legislator Sanjiv Chaurasia. Some BJP leaders even alleged that Mr. Kumar’s “mind is infested with ideas from B-grade Bollywood adult films.”
Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan demanded the imposition of “President’s rule” in Bihar, stating that “the entire state has been embarrassed by the Chief Minister’s statement.”
Former Chief Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Rabri Devi defended Mr. Kumar for his comments, stating, “It might have been a slip of the tongue, but Nitish Kumar ji has apologized for this,” Ms. Devi said.
