Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Sunday there should be a law to control population for the “country’s development and social cohesion”. He also called for strict action against those who violated the law. Singh was speaking on the sidelines of an event in Nawada, his constituency. When asked if the Centre was planning “nasbandi after notebandi (sterilisation after demonetisation”, Singh said: “Maine kaha ki desh ke vikas ke liye aur samajik samrasta ke liye jansankhya niyantran ke liye koi kanoon hona chahiye. Hamari aabadi 17 per cent hai jabki jamin sirf 2.5 per cent aur paani kul 4.1 per cent hai (I would say that there should be a definite law on population control for the country’s development and social cohesion. We constitute 17 per cent of the world’s population but have only 2.5 per cent of the total land and 4.1 per cent of the water on earth).” Watch video The minister recalled a recent visit to Odisha and praised efforts to control population there. “.jab garib Hindu samaj ne swikara hai, jo ise nahi maanenge uspar kanuni danda chalna chahiye (when the poor among Hindus have accepted it, there should be strict action against those not complying with the law,” he said. Singh stoked controversy in April when he said that if the “two-child norm” was not followed, daughters of Hindus would not be “safe”. Seeking a population control law, Singh had said that just as Hindus should have two children, Muslims should also have two children. During the 2014 Lok Sabha campaign, the minister had said that “those opposing BJP should look towards Pakistan”.
