AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi has strongly criticized the RSS, accusing the organization of ‘double-speak’ regarding population control. Owaisi pointed out the apparent contradiction between previous proposals from the BJP-led government advocating for population control laws and the current stance of RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat, who is now promoting the idea of each family having three children.
Owaisi highlighted that Bhagwat did not address the issue of providing employment for the 60% of India’s population that is young. He also alleged that Muslims have been targeted on the basis of population growth. He stated, ‘Now they are saying that each family should have three children. Earlier, they were saying that there should be a law on population that if there are more than two children in a family, then they should not be eligible for a government job.’
Owaisi emphasized that decisions about family size should be left to individual choices and should not be imposed by external pressures. He stated, ‘This should be left to the decision of family members. Mohan Bhagwat is placing a burden on women…., he is misleading the country. Sixty per cent of the population which is young at present, Bhagwat is not talking about giving jobs to them. He is not talking about making them productive. RSS indulges in double speak. They mislead the people.’ Owaisi also suggested that the RSS leaders’ remarks are made to benefit the BJP politically.
Mohan Bhagwat, in his remarks, had stated that population growth can be both an asset and a burden. He explained, ‘Our country’s population policy recommends 2.1 children (on average). In maths, 2.1 is 2, but with the birth of children after 2, it is 3, which is why 2.1 means three. Every citizen should see that there should be three children in his/her family.’