'Do as SRK admonished in Jawan': US-based singer Mary Millben on Nitish Kumar's comments

US-based singer Mary Millben, best known in India for her rendition of the popular bhajan Om Jai Jagdish Hare, on Tuesday condemned Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's crass remarks on population control and also called for Kumar's resignation. She went onto invoke a scene from Shah Rukh Khan's Jawan, wherein he asked people to vote and bring about a change. 

While highlighting the need for women's education to tackle the rising population of Bihar, Nitish Kumar gave a rather graphic description of how an educated woman controls her husband during sexual intercourse. He also underlined how Bihar's fertility rate went down from 4.2 per cent to 2.9 per cent. 

"After Nitish Kumar ji's comments, I believe a courageous woman needs to step up and declare her candidacy to run for Chief Minister of Bihar. If I were a citizen of India, I would move to Bihar and run for Chief Minister. The BJP should empower a woman to lead in Bihar," the singer said in a post on X formerly known as Twitter. 

"This would be the true sentiment of women empowerment and development in response. Or Bihar, do as SRK admonished in Jawan, "vote" and bring change," she further said in her post. 

In the scene from Jawan that Millben was referring to, Shah Rukh Khan can be seen delivering a monologue on the importance of asking questions before deciding who to vote for.

He exhorted the people of India to ask candidates about what they will do for the country and how they plan to handle issues related to unemployment, education and health for the next five years. 

Jawan had struck a cord with the audiences as it covered pertinent issues such as medical negligence, farmers suicides, government apathy and corruption among others.

Besides her post on X, Millben also posted an almost three-minute-long video to share her thoughts about Nitish Kumar's comments. In this video, she backed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said he was a leader who believed in empowering women.

She also said that Modi was the best leader in India for the US-India bilateral relationship as well as for the global economic stability of the world. The US-based singer said that the 2024 election season has begun both in the States and India. She also mentioned that election seasons come with an opportunity to end outdated policies. 

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi tore into Nitish Kumar for his controversial remarks on population control and also questioned the Opposition for not condemning the same. While addressing a rally in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, he said that making such statements was tantamount to insulting the country. 

"A big leader of the INDI alliance, 'Ghamandiya Gathbandhan' used indecent language for women inside (Bihar) assembly yesterday. They are not ashamed. No leader of the INDI alliance said a single word against it. People who think like this about women, can they do anything good for you?" the Prime Minister said. 

"Those who have this evil attitude towards our mothers and sisters are insulting our country. How low will you stoop," he further noted. 

Also Read: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar apologises for his remarks on population control, says 'I take back my words'

Also Read: 'They are not ashamed': PM Modi slams INDIA alliance over Nitish's population control remarks