'Utterly foolish': RJD slams UP's Population policy, points to falling fertility rates

Lashing out the UP government for its 'Population Bill 2021', RJD veteran Shivanand Tiwari on Sunday, said that the policy was targetted at Muslims, terming it utterly foolish. Pointing out that fertility rates in Muslim-majority states were below the national average, Tiwari argued that education helped in bringing the population under control naturally. Slamming BJP's 'poisonous minds', he chalked up such laws to govt failures.

RJD terms Population Bill 'utterly foolish'

"This is utterly foolish. They think that Muslims are producing more children. The data shows that the fertility rate of the Muslim population in J&K where the Muslim population is 68%, is 1.4 which is below the national average. In Lakshadweep, where 96% of the population is Muslim, the fertility rate is 1.8 and regions where education is rampant, the fertility rate naturally goes down," argued Tiwari.

He added, "People like Yogi Ji and Rakesh Sinha Ji have poisonous brains. They have failed to address the real issues and therefore they are diverting the attention". BJP MP Rakesh Sinha had earlier introduced a Population Control Bill in Parliament.

UP CM Yogi Adityanath unveiled the new Population Policy 2021-30 based on the state Law Commission's draft Bill on Sunday, on the occasion of 'World Population Day'. Urging citizens to become aware of the problems caused by the extensive population, Adityanath said that the policy will apply to a married couple where the boy is not less than 21 years of age and the girl is not less than 18. The CM has claimed that unless 'one doesn't open their eyes towards this problem of increasing population, it will not get solved'.

What is UP's Population Bill 2021?

The UP Population Bill's draft lists incentives for government employees, general public and couples below poverty line for adopting two-child or one-child policy via voluntary sterilisation - which include additional increments, house subsidies, rebates on utilities, paid 12-month maternity and paternity leave, free health care to spouse and increased employer's contribution to the national pension scheme - to name a few. The bill also lists many disincentives for all such as debarring from benefits of govt-sponsored welfare schemes, ration card limits, contesting local body elections etc. The Bill will not be applicable to those already having more than two children before the passage of the Bill.

Moreover, the Bill lists additional incentives for couples adopting a one-child policy like - two more increments during the entire services,  free health care facility and insurance coverage to the single child till it turns 20,  preference to single child in admission in all educational institutions and govt jobs, free education up-to graduation level, scholarship for higher studies in case of a girl child. The Bill also tasks the govt with establishing maternity centers at all the primary health centers, availability of contraceptive pills, condoms, insurance for failure of tubectomy or vasectomy and encourage male participation in family planning. Exceptions to the law include - multiple births out of second pregnancy, adoption upto two children, disability of the first or second child, death of a child and married couple expecting a third child during the implementation of the Bill.