The Hindu : National : BJP criticises Muslim leader's attitude to population control

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Sep 16, 2004

National

National

BJP criticises Muslim leader's attitude to population control

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 15. The Bharatiya Janata Party today regretted that the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) president, Maulana Rabe Hasan Nadvi, had rejected out of hand the idea of discussing the population control issue. He was doing a "disservice" to the Muslim community and to the country, it said.

The party spokesperson, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, said that "lack of population control was acting as a speed-breaker in the development of the community ... religious leaders opposing family planning was not in the interest of the country or even Muslims." He took objection to Maulana Nadvi's reported statement that population control was un-Islamic.

"When any Muslim religious leader says that population control is un-Islamic they must remember that India is not an Islamic nation and Islamic laws are not the laws of this country." Mr. Naqvi said that in fact many declared Islamic countries had adopted the small family norm to restrict the growing population.

The population control issue was related to social reform and development. For the AIMPLB to reject the idea of even discussing it showed a rigidity that would do no good to anyone, least of all to the Muslim community, Mr. Naqvi said.

The BJP demanded that the Congress respond to the Muslim clerics' views. What did the Congress think of the rejection of family planning by the AIMPLB, Mr. Naqvi asked.

The BJP favoured all parties sitting together to think in terms of legislation to cover legislators, to begin with, to bar those with more than two children from entering the political arena.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National