BJP leader and former MP Navneet Rana has triggered a political controversy after making remarks linking population growth to religion and national identity. Speaking to reporters in Maharashtra’s Amravati on Tuesday, Rana urged Hindu families to have more children, claiming that population balance was a matter of national security.
Rana said she had heard a religious cleric openly claim that he has four wives and 19 children. Referring to this, she said Hindus should not restrict themselves to one child. “Hindus should think of having at least three or four children. Otherwise, there is a conspiracy to turn Hindustan into Pakistan,” she said.
Her comments drew criticism for targeting a particular community and for promoting fear based on religious identity. Rana claimed that some groups were deliberately increasing their population to change India’s social and cultural fabric. “Hindu families should stop limiting themselves to one child and think about the future of the country,” she said.
Along with her remarks on population, Rana also commented on the political situation in Maharashtra. She said the leadership of Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray had weakened and predicted that alliances involving his party would perform poorly in upcoming elections. She expressed confidence that the ruling Mahayuti alliance would gain control of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
Rana also spoke about the split in the Nationalist Congress Party, describing Sharad Pawar as a senior leader and calling Ajit Pawar a part of his family. She said unity within the Pawar family would be a positive development.
