AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has condemned the RSS, accusing the organization of hypocrisy regarding its views on family size. Owaisi specifically criticized the RSS for its apparent shift in stance, contrasting the earlier push for population control measures under the BJP government with the recent advocacy by RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat for families to have three children.
Owaisi questioned Bhagwat’s priorities, noting the lack of focus on addressing the employment needs of India’s large young population, which constitutes 60% of the country. He further alleged that Muslims have been unfairly targeted concerning population growth. He elaborated, ‘Now they are saying that each family should have three children. Earlier, they were saying that there should be a law on population that if there are more than two children in a family, then they should not be eligible for a government job.’
Owaisi asserted that decisions regarding family size should be a matter of personal choice and not subject to external influence. He stated, ‘This should be left to the decision of family members. Mohan Bhagwat is placing a burden on women…., he is misleading the country. Sixty per cent of the population which is young at present, Bhagwat is not talking about giving jobs to them. He is not talking about making them productive. RSS indulges in double speak. They mislead the people.’ He implied that these statements from RSS leaders serve the BJP’s political interests.
Mohan Bhagwat, in his remarks, had suggested that population growth presents both opportunities and challenges. He added, ‘Our country’s population policy recommends 2.1 children (on average). In maths, 2.1 is 2, but with the birth of children after 2, it is 3, which is why 2.1 means three. Every citizen should see that there should be three children in his/her family.’