NEW DELHI: US singer Mary Millben has expressed her outrage over the ‘vulgar’ remarks made by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on women and population control in the state assembly. She has urged the women of India to challenge his leadership and run for the post of Bihar Chief Minister.
In a tweet, Millben wrote, “After #NitishKumar Ji’s comments, I believe a courageous woman needs to step up and declare her candidacy to run for Chief Minister of Bihar. If I were a citizen of #India, I would move to Bihar and run for Chief Minister. The BJP should empower a woman to lead in Bihar. This would be the true sentiment of women’s empowerment and development in response. Or #Bihar, do as #SRK admonished in #Jawan, ‘vote’ and bring change.”
Millben, who is known for her rendition of the Indian national anthem and her support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was reacting to the controversial statement made by Nitish Kumar on Tuesday during a discussion on caste-based census. Nitish Kumar had said, “When a man gets married, he engages in sexual intercourse with his wife every night.” He further added, “The man, when married, engages in intercourse with her every night. That’s how more children are born. If a girl gets an education, we know the man will engage in intercourse, which is fine. But the girl will ask to pull it out at the end. The man does it, and now the population is decreasing.”
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Nitish Kumar’s remarks have triggered a massive backlash from women leaders and activists across the world, who have condemned his language as ‘derogatory’, ‘disgraceful’, and ‘misogynistic’. Delhi Commission for Women chairperson Swati Maliwal has demanded an immediate apology from the Bihar Chief Minister, stating, “Strongly condemn the disgraceful language used by Bihar CM Shri Nitish Kumar while addressing the assembly. He must immediately apologize.” The National Commission for Women has also slammed Nitish Kumar for his remarks on women and asked him to apologise. BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla has described Nitish Kumar’s language as “the most vulgar, indecent, most misogynistic, sexist, and patriarchal.”
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The incident has sparked a heated debate on the need for respectful and dignified discourse on women and their rights and the importance of gender equality and empowerment in society.