In the midst of the ongoing controversy surrounding Bihar's Chief Ministe, Nitish Kumar's comments on birth control and women's education, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched a sharp criticism against his Bihar counterpart. He asserted that Nitish Kumar has "lost his mental balance" and poses a "threat to the state," and consequently called for his immediate removal from office due to his derogatory statements regarding population control.
"I think he (CM Nitish Kumar) has lost his mental balance. His party should remove him from the Chief Minister's post. A chief minister with a lost mental balance is a threat to the state," CM Sarma said in Madhya Pradesh's Khandwa.
Earlier in the week, the BJP had demanded Nitish Kumar's resignation over his offensive comments on birth control in the Bihar Assembly, arguing that he had "lost his mental balance." This led to chaotic scenes in the Bihar Assembly during the ongoing Winter Session, with opposition members protesting against CM Nitish Kumar's objectionable remarks.
Under mounting pressure, Kumar apologized for his comments in the assembly, saying, "I apologise, and I take back my words," he told reporters after BJP legislators prevented him from entering the legislative assembly.
On Tuesday, during a discussion on caste census in the Assembly, the Bihar Chief Minister made controversial comments while emphasizing the importance of educating girls to control population growth in the state. Kumar claimed that the state's fertility rate, which was previously at 4.3 percent, had dropped to 2.9 percent according to a report from the previous year.
The BJP and the chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW) expressed outrage over his remarks and demanded an unconditional apology from him.
In defense of Nitish Kumar, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav argued that the Chief Minister's remarks were being misinterpreted and that he was addressing the topic of sex education. Yadav clarified, ""Let me tell you one thing. It is wrong if someone misinterprets it. The remarks of the CM were regarding sex education. 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.”
