BHOPAL: Advocating BJP Lok Sabha member Pragya Singh Thakur’s demand to execute a law on population control similar to poll bound Uttar Pradesh, former pro tem speaker and BJP MLA, Rameshwar Sharma has written to chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan seeking implementation of a similar law in Madhya Pradesh.
Sources said that the BJP MLAs were also mulling to introduce a private members’ bill on population control and uniform civil code in the upcoming Monsoon Session of the assembly.
The Congress has termed the demand as a political drive.
“Increasing population is the biggest challenge for the development, good governance and security of the state.
According to the census conducted in 2011, the population of Madhya Pradesh was about 7.25 crore, whereas in 2021 the estimated population of Madhya Pradesh is about 8.75 crore, an increase of 1.5 crore in the last 10 years, which is more than the entire population of several countries in the West,” pointed out Sharma in his letter to chief minister Chouhan, on Tuesday.
The BJP MLA from Huzur assembly constituency in Bhopal district further said, “For example, Germany has a population of around 8.37crore, France around 6 crore, England has a population of around 6.38 crore, Italy has 6 crore and Spain has a population of 4.67 crore, almost half comparing to Madhya Pradesh.
These countries are behind in terms of population from Madhya Pradesh but are way ahead than the state in terms of resources,” he said.
Underlining that MP has been brought into the list of leading states from the ignominious list of BIMARU (laggard) states, the MLA urged the chief minister to implement a population control law in the state.
“You have included Madhya Pradesh in the list of leading states of the country by taking out from the BIMARU and backward states through hard work and various schemes for the welfare of village, poor, farmers and common citizens of the state.
Madhya Pradesh is progressing under your leadership and will continue to do so,” read the letter by Sharma.
It’s a humble request to you that taking meaningful decisions in the context of making population control law will prove to be a milestone in the direction of all round development, security and good governance of Madhya Pradesh, said Sharma.
The BJP MLA said that the issue of population control should not be seen through a religion’s prism and that parents should focus more on how their kids bring a good name to them.
“Which community grew by how much, we all know.
Children are not to be born and left on the road.
Marry five wives and create 25 children and leave them, who will make arrangements for (livelihood) them,” Sharma told TOI.
He also urged the Congress party to consider this suggestion.
Sources said that the BJP members can also introduce a private bill on population control and uniform civil code in the upcoming monsoon session of assembly beginning August 9.
However, an official announcement has not been made by any member.
The state home and legislative affairs minister Narottam Mishra has clarified that no such proposal is under consideration.
“The state government has no proposal related to population control under consideration as of now,” Mishra clarified on Tuesday.
The draft policy unveiled in Uttar Pradesh seeks to bring down population growth rate to 2.1 % in next ten years and seeks a two-child policy, linking the same to government welfare schemes and eligibility for the local body polls.
Like UP, Lok Sabha member from Bhopal, Pragya Singh Thakur had recently advocated for a population control bill and uniform civil code in the entire country.
“There should be population control in the entire country.
Those who have intruded our country are Bangladeshis and Rohingyas, they are a burden on the country’s limited resources and also aggravates the security challenges posed to the country.
It is painful that people in the country are facing hardships and not getting their due share.
Instead, some people are raising them (Rohingyas) for political gains and votes,” Thakur told TOI, on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Madhya Pradesh Congress has termed the BJP leaders’ demand for a population control bill as a political gimmick ahead of elections in Uttar Pradesh.
” We have heard statements from RSS chief to Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, Sakshi Maharaj and many BJP leaders that the majority society should produce more and more children.
The VHP in UP itself is opposing the Yogi government’s population control law.
Different voices of BJP leaders contradicting themselves.
This is merely a political gimmick,” said Congress state spokesperson Narendra Saluja.