Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has defended his government's planned population control bill. On Saturday, the Uttar Pradesh government unveiled the draft of the proposed law that prohibits promotions in government jobs for people who have more than two children, 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.
In a tweet to mark World Population Day on Sunday, Yogi wrote, "Increasing population is the root of major problems including inequality prevailing in society. Population control is the primary condition for the establishment of an advanced society. Let us, on this 'World Population Day', take a pledge to make ourselves and the society aware of the problems arising from the increasing population."
While Assam announced plans for a population control legislation last month, the move by Uttar Pradesh is seen as being more significant as it is the most populous state in the country. If it were a nation of its own, Uttar Pradesh, with around 240 million people, would be the fifth-most populous country.
Not surprisingly, the proposed law has drawn the ire of opposition parties. The Congress alleged the proposed law was intended to serve the BJP's "political agenda" ahead of next year's Assembly elections in UP. Samajwadi Party leaders called it a "murder of democracy".
