Sena targets Muslims, Owaisi slams Modi’s ‘intrusive ideas’

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s exhortation for population control in his Independence Day speech drew varied reactions from the political class with Congress leader P Chidambaram welcoming it and Shiv Sena using the comment to target the Muslim community. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi weighed in and claimed that PM Modi was coming up with “discarded and intrusive” ideas of gover nance.

Chidambaram hailed Modi’s announcement and said, “All of us must welcome three announcements made by the PM on I-Day. Small family is a patriotic duty, respect wealth creators and shun single-use plastic. The first and third exhortations must become people’s movements. There are hundreds of dedicated voluntary organisations that are willing to lead the movements at local levels.”

The Sena said it agreed with Modi’s argument and alleged that a section of the minority community did not understand the importance of curbing population growth.


“Fundamentalist Muslims are not concerned about population explosion and are not ready to come out of the mindset of ‘hum do hamare pacchis (we two, our 25’),” an editorial in party mouthpiece ‘Saamna’ said.

Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut said Modi had echoed party founder Bal Thackeray’s views on population control. “Bal Thackeray always advocated need for population control. The NDA government under Modi is espousing the policies of Shiv Sena,” he said.

However, Owaisi said though the majority of India’s population was young and productive, the advantage would last only for two more decades. Taking a jibe at Modi, he alleged the PM was “clueless” on how to use this advantage.

“Majority of India is young and productive but this advantage will only last till 2040. PM is clueless about how to utilise this advantage, so he’s coming up with discarded and intrusive ideas of governance that shirk his own responsibility,” Owaisi tweeted.