It looks like population control measures are going to be the next weapon of the BJP to polarize voters in the country. The target especially seems to be UP, where the state election is due next year. The Uttar Pradesh government announced a draft law for population control on Saturday. The bill says that those who have more than two children should not be granted any special concessions or benefits, and should be barred from using official perks. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced that his government too will bring a similar law in the state.
Everyone recognizes the two-child drumbeat as a fresh call to corner India’s Muslim minority. After Ayodhya Ram temple, the triple talaq bill, and removal of Article 370, the BJP is now looking for fresh issues to keep Hindutva politics boiling in the country. Many believe that population control bill and a uniform civil code will be the two major political issues for the party in the run-up to the 2024 general election. Already it is reported that several BJP members are preparing to push for a national population control law through private members’ bills in the monsoon session of the parliament beginning next week. BJP MPs like Rakesh Sinha and Anil Aggarwal are among those who have put in notice to table bills related to population control. They want to keep anti-minority feelings strong for their political benefits.