'Educated woman helps in birth control', Nitish Kumar stirs controversy; It's sex education, defends Tejashvi

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar sparked controversy during a session in the assembly as he explained the role of women's education in birth control. Using gestures and descriptive language, Kumar 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," Nitish Kumar said much to the surprise of many women members in the assembly.

"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 in a rustic style.


"You, journalists also understand it well. Earlier it (fertility rate) was 4.3, but it has now reached 2.9. And, soon we will reach 2," he added.

In March, 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”.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded Kumar's resignation, condemning his remarks as "misogynistic, vulgar, and patriarchal." BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla expressed concerns about the impact of such language on women in Bihar. BJP MLAs Gayatri Devi and Sweety Hembram criticized Kumar for lacking propriety and sensitivity towards women.

State BJP President Samrat Choudhary, a member of the legislative council, accused Kumar of bringing disgrace to the 6.5 crore women of Bihar. Choudhary appealed to the Chief Minister to choose his words and actions carefully, as his indiscreet behavior is causing discomfort among women and girls attending his functions.

However, defending Kumar, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav clarified that the Chief Minister's remarks were about sex education. Yadav argued against misinterpretation, stating that sex education is now part of the curriculum in schools and is taught to children as a part of science and biology. Yadav emphasized that Kumar's statement should be seen as practical advice to control the population, rather than being taken in a negative light.