Draft Population Control Bill Raises Questions About BJP Govt’s Intentions: Mayawati

BSP president Mayawati on Tuesday said the draft population control bill has raised questions about the Uttar Pradesh government’s intentions as people believe it lacks seriousness and has more to do with the ruling BJP’s electoral interests. She said if the BJP government had been serious about the population control, then it would have started working towards it when the government was formed.

The BSP chief’s reaction comes in the wake of the Uttar Pradesh State Law Commission (UPSLC) posting the draft of the population control bill on its website. “The new bill being brought by the BJP government for population control, more than its merits and demerits, raises doubts over both the policy and intention of the government regarding the seriousness of this national concern. People believe it lacks seriousness and has more to do with electoral interests,” Mayawati said in a tweet in Hindi.

“Failing to turn the growing population into the country’s strength and honour by making them more aware and educated, the BJP is now trying to control the population by force and punishing most of the families like the previous Congress government, which is grossly unfair in the eyes of the public,” she added. According to the draft bill, people having more than two children in the state will be debarred from contesting local bodies polls, applying for government jobs or receiving any kind of subsidy.

The draft bill, for which suggestions have been invited from the public till July 19, also prohibits promotions in government jobs for such people, while offering incentives to those limiting their children to two. The draft says it is necessary to control and stabilise the population of the state for the promotion of sustainable development with more equitable distribution.

If enacted, the provisions of the proposed legislation titled The Uttar Pradesh Population (Control, Stabilisation and Welfare) Bill, 2021 will come into force after one year from the date of publication in the Gazette, according to the Uttar Pradesh State Law Commission (UPSLC) website. On Monday, Mayawati had also questioned the timing of the arrest of two Al Qaeda-linked terrorists in Lucknow on Sunday.

“If the UP police claims of busting a terrorist conspiracy in Lucknow and the arrest of two people having links with Al Qaeda are right, then it is a very serious matter and appropriate action should be taken but no politics should be done in its garb, the apprehension of which is being expressed, she had tweeted. “This type of action only when the UP Vidhan Sabha elections are approaching creates doubts in the minds of people . If there is truth behind this action, then why was the police oblivious to it for so long? This is the question which is being asked by the people. Therefore , the government should not take any action which increases unrest among the people,” she had said.

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