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

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday slammed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for using 'indecent' language against women inside the Assembly. Without naming Kumar, PM Modi said that a big leader of the INDIA alliance used objectional language for women, but no leaders from the Opposition block said anything about it. 

"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 while addressing a rally in Madhya Pradesh's Guna.

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

On Tuesday, Nitish Kumar described in the assembly how an educated woman can restrain her husband which can bring down the population. "The husband's acts led 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, adding that with education, the fertility rate which was "earlier 4.3, has now come down to 2.9".

The chief minister's remarks sparked a controversy, with opposition and women organisations accusing him of insulting women. Women's wings of Left parties, which support the state's ruling 'Mahagathbandhan' government, came out with statements condemning the chief minister's remarks. 

CPI(M) affiliate AIDWA and CPI(ML) Liberation affiliated AIPWA demanded an apology from Kumar and claimed that the language used by the veteran leader and his "body language" was "vulgar" (obscene) and smacked of patriarchy.

The women's organizations also slammed the members of the House for "failure to raise objections on the floor of the House" and alleged that it showed "their sole concern is their own political career".

Facing flak over his remarks, the chief minister on Wednesday offered his apologies both inside and outside the Bihar assembly. "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)".

The chief minister, however, said that the context in which he 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".

As soon as the House had assembled at 11 am, Leader of the Opposition Vijay Kumar Sinha alleged that the chief minister had become a "mental" case, was unfit to govern the state, and should resign. The opposition members who remained unmoved by Kumar's apology, stormed the well, raising slogans against the chief minister and demanding his resignation.

(With inputs from PTI)