Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has apologised for the remarks he made on population control and women in the Bihar Assembly on Tuesday.
While talking about the importance of women's education for population control, Nitish Kumar gave a vivid description of how an educated woman can restrain her husband during sexual intercourse, which was deemed "derogatory and vulgar".
“I apologise and I take back my words…,” Kumar said to reporters after the remarks caused an uproar. The BJP legislators did not allow him to enter the Bihar Vidhan Sabha and sought his resignation.
The BJP had also called the remarks "most misogynistic, vulgar and patriarchal".
The National Commission for Women (NCW) had condemned the words and urged Nitish Kumar to issue an apology. NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma told reporters that they were deeply concerned with the remarks. "The way he spoke in Assembly was like in a C-grade movie. The worst was how the men sitting behind him were laughing. His actions and gestures were like an ugly joke. The Speaker hasn't expunged them yet," Sharma said.
His apology comes despite the JD(U)'s supporting its leader, stating his remarks were an effort to create awareness. Bihar Minister Shrawon Kumar defended his party's leader, stating that Nitish Kumar's words were the "language of common people."
"Fertility rate is decreasing through education. He made it clear that educated women will play a role in decreasing the fertility rate and he gave an example of how they can stop it. It was an effort to make people aware people, in the language of common people," Kumar told ANI.
The BJP, however, demanded his resignation. BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla said 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 is the plight of the women in Bihar. Tejaswhi Yadav has justified the statement and said it was sex education. It only shows the level this alliance is following," said Poonawalla.