You had opposed 1970 sterilisation drive: Chhattisgarh CM to BJP

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. File pic

Amid push for a population control policy by some BJP-ruled states, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Wednesday said had the BJP not opposed the sterilisation drive in the 1970s the population would have not increased so much and accused the saffron party of raising the issue with an eye on the next year's Uttar Pradesh elections.

"This is the same BJP (referring to the erstwhile Bharatiya Jan Sangh) that had opposed the sterilisation programme. If that drive had been carried forward in the 1970s, then the population would not have increased so much," the CM said.

Baghel was responding to a question on UP's draft two-child policy bill and a proposed formulation of a policy in this regard in Assam - both states are ruled by the BJP. He said the problem of the growing population will not be resolved by framing laws; there's need for public awareness. "I think public awareness should be created and laws shouldn't be made for the sake of politics."

Meanwhile, Rajasthan Health Minister Dr Raghu Sharma on Wednesday backed the population bill. But, he added that the country needs ‘hum do, hamare ek' policy instead of ‘hum do, humare do'.

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