Assam politician Badruddin Ajmal, chief of the All India United Democratic Front (AIDUF), on Friday, stoked a fresh controversy, saying Hindus should adopt "the Muslim formula" and get their children married at a young age.
"Muslim men marry at the age of 20-22, and Muslim women also marry at 18 after the permissible age by the government. On the other hand, They [Hindus] keep one, two or three illegal wives before marriage, they don't give birth to babies, enjoy themselves and save money," he claimed.
When asked about the rise in the Muslim population - a frequent subject of right-wing invectives - the AIDUF chief said, "After the age of 40 they get married under parental pressure... So, how can one expect that they will bear children after 40? If you sow in fertile land, only then you can bear good crops. There will then be growth."
Mr Ajmal said, "They (Hindus) should also follow the formula of Muslims and get their children married at a young age. Get them married at the age of 20-22, get the girls married at 18-20 years, and then see how many children are born."
The politician also responded to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's recent comments on "Love Jihad" in reference to the Shraddha Walker murder case.
"Chief Minister is one of the top leaders of the country today. So, who is stopping him, you also carry out four to five 'Love Jihad' and take away our Muslim girls. We will welcome it and won't even fight. It will also be seen how much power you have," Mr Ajmal said.
Mr Sarma had recently said that there was an element of "Love Jihad" - the right-wing conspiracy theory that Muslim men woo Hindu women and force them to convert - in the Shraddha Walkar case.
Calling for a 'Love Jihad', the Chief Minister said India needed a "powerful" Prime Minister like Narendra Modi, or else an "Aaftab will be born in every city". Aaftab Ameen Poonawala has been arrested on charges of murdering his girlfriend Shraddha Walkar and chopping her body up.
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