Your apology is not sincere, Ravi Shankar Prasad said, hitting out at Nitish Kumar (File)
BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday said that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's remarks on the importance of women's education to control the population is a result of his sick mentality.
The former union minister said that the Bihar Chief Minister's comment on women during a debate on caste census at the state Assembly is condemnable.
Speaking on the floor of the Assembly, Nitish Kumar on Tuesday in a rustic style said women should be educated as it would enable them to avoid sexual intercourse from resulting in pregnancy.
"What has happened to you Nitish Kumar, what obscene language did you use? On one hand, the Nari Shakti of the country is earning a name in the world, and you have this mentality in your mind. This is a sick mentality. It is a dirty thinking," the BJP MP said while speaking to news agency ANI.
Mr Kumar, however, after his remarks triggered a political firestorm, apologised for the same saying that if anyone got hurt, he would take his words back.
Reacting to it, Mr Prasad said, "Mr Kumar apologised to the women by saying 'if hurt'. It means you have no remorse. till you are not able to accept it wholeheartedly."
He said, "In the history of Indian democracy, the most shameful things have been said on the floor of the House. His Deputy Chief Minister is saying that he was talking about sex education. Is democracy a joke? Your apology is not sincere. I condemn him outright."
Addressing the Winter Session of the Assembly during a debate on caste census yesterday, Nitish Kumar made the remarks while underlining the need for girls' education to check population growth.
Mr Kumar in his address in the Assembly yesterday said that the fertility rate of the state, which was earlier at 4.3 per cent, has now dropped to 2.9 per cent per a report last year.
The Bihar Chief Minister's remarks drew outrage from the BJP as well as the National Commission for Women (NCW), who demanded that he tender an unconditional apology.
In a scathing riposte to Bihar Chief Minister, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla today said his statement was "despicable, disgusting, atrocious, obnoxious and women virodhi".
"The comments made by Nitish Kumar were despicable, disgusting, atrocious, obnoxious and women 'virodhi'. It only shows the impact of the influence of RJD...If they think like this and speak like this in the assembly, imagine what the plight of the women in Bihar...Tejaswhi Yadav has justified the statement and said it is sex education. It only shows the level this alliance is following," Shehzad Poonawalla said in a self-made video today.
Union Minister of State Nityanand Rai said that the Bihar Chief Minister has lost his "mental stability."
"It's objectionable; Nitish Kumar has lost his mental stability the way he spoke about women. Tejashwi Yadav's statement in its support is also objectionable. Nitish Kumar is no longer worthy of holding the position of CM. You have destroyed the culture of this country. He should apologise and detach himself from politics," Mr Rai said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)