“It’s a shameful statement,” says Union Minister Sitharaman on Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s remark

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India]: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has slammed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over his bizarre remarks on population control in the assembly saying it is a shameful statement.

Sitharaman made the remark while addressing media persons in the state capital Bhopal on Thursday. She has arrived here in view of campaigning for the upcoming Madhya Pradesh assembly election to be held this month.

“It is a shameful statement. It is very shameful that a senior person who is the Chief Minister of a state uses inappropriate words to talk about women linking it with education in the Assembly. I appeal to the media with folded hands to ask the leaders of the INDIA bloc and Congress family, shouldn’t they have strongly condemned it? Not a single clear statement came,” Sitharaman said.

She further said that apart from this, a woman from their alliance came forward and tried whitewashing the issue. This clearly shows the mentality of alliance that they are looking at women as a vote bank and nothing else.

Notably, on Tuesday, speaking on the floor of the Assembly, the Bihar Chief Minister said women should be educated as it would enable them to avoid sexual intercourse resulting in pregnancy.

Addressing the Winter Session of the Assembly during a debate on caste census on Tuesday, the CM made bizarre remarks while underscoring the need for girls’ education to check population growth in the state.

Nonetheless, Kumar on Wednesday apologised for his remarks in the assembly.
“I apologise, and I take back my words,” he told reporters after BJP legislators did not allow him to enter the legislative assembly.

Meanwhile, praising the Madhya Pradesh government, Sitharaman said, “In MP, there were five medical colleges, now the number has increased to 30. In 20 years, 25 new medical colleges have been added. Medical seats have also increased to 4000 from 620. I am sure that you all know about Mukhyamantri Laldi Bahna Yojana, 1.32 crore women are being benefited by the scheme.”

Madhya Pradesh is one of the five states set to undergo polls in one phase on November 17 and the counting of votes will take place on December 3. Voters will choose legislators from 230 Assembly constituencies.