Nitish apologises for his birth control remarks, unfazed BJP wants him out

The CM had on Tuesday used gestures and descriptive language while dwelling on the importance of education of women in birth control in the assembly, leading to a nationwide outrage.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday apologised inside the House and outside for his remarks the previous day during a speech in the state legislature in which he had used gestures and descriptive language while dwelling on the importance of education of women in birth control, leading to a nationwide outrage.

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar arrives at the assembly on Wednesday. (Santosh Kumar/HT)

“I apologise if I have hurt anybody. It was not intended to hurt anybody. I have always maintained that education is necessary for population control. I have also stood for women empowerment and women’s development,” Kumar told reporters outside the assembly even as BJP legislators blocked the main entrance for him on Wednesday, the third day of the monsoon session of the bicameral Bihar legislature.

Kumar then entered the legislature building from the legislative council side.

Amid slogan shouting by BJP legislators inside the assembly, the chief minister rose to offer his explanation and said, “I have expressed my regret while talking to journalists outside the House. I am ready to do so again. If my words have caused any hurt, I condemn myself (main apni ninda karta hoon).”

Kumar clarified he had made the remarks in the context of women education and its correlation with fertility rate.

“The context in which I had made the remarks must not be lost sight of. I have always been a strong votary of women’s education and it was a eureka moment for me when I saw a direct correlation between education levels among women and fertility rate,” he said.

Amid protests by unrelenting BJP members, the assembly was adjourned till 2 pm and later for the day.

Later, Kumar also offered his apology at the legislative council as well, where he said the same thing.

The BJP, however, demanded his resignation from the post. “He seems to be ill and not in a condition to run the constitutional office,” said leader of opposition in assembly Vijay Kumar Sinha. “We demand resignation. Mere apology will not do,” he said.

Kumar, during his speech on socio-economic aspects of the caste survey in Bihar on Tuesday, had highlighted how an educated married woman can influence her husband to prevent pregnancy.

“When an educated girl gets married, she can help in population control by telling her husband how to go safe and this has actually helped in population control,” he had said in the assembly.

“The husband’s acts lead to more births. However, with education, a woman knows how to restrain him... this is the reason the numbers (of births) are coming down,” he said, making some suggestive gestures in doing so.

In March this year, Nitish had drawn flak for referring to an alleged act of bestiality while making a point in the assembly about “some men” always “making a mess”.

His remarks on Tuesday have drawn widespread condemnation from female legislators and the National Commission for Women, which has demanded an “immediate and unequivocal apology” from the CM. His “crass” comments, chairperson Rekha Sharma said, were an “affront to the dignity and respect that every woman deserves”.

Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, however, siad Kumar’s statement “should be taken as sex education”.

“It is wrong to misinterpret it. People are hesitant whenever the topic of sex education is discussed. This is now taught in schools. Science and biology are taught in schools. Children learn it. He 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…” Yadav told reporters.