BBC, Meerut :
A hard-line Indian MP has sparked outrage by urging Hindu women to have at least four children “in order to protect the Hindu religion”.
Analysts say the comments by Sakshi Maharaj, from the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), are aimed at stirring up tension with Muslims.
Opposition Congress party spokesman Sanjay Jha called his comments “ludicrous and provocative”.
Last month, Sakshi Maharaj said the killer of Mahatma Gandhi was a patriot.
The hardliner, who dresses in saffron robes, is known for creating controversies.
“The concept of four wives and 40 children will not work in India,” the MP is reported to have told a gathering in an apparent reference to Muslims, who are legally allowed to have four wives.
“The time has come when a Hindu woman must produce at least four children in order to protect Hindu religion.”
The BBC’s Geeta Pandey in Delhi says hard-line Hindus regularly accuse Muslim women of being “breeding machines” who have lots of children in a bid to overtake the Hindu population.
A hard-line Indian MP has sparked outrage by urging Hindu women to have at least four children “in order to protect the Hindu religion”.
Analysts say the comments by Sakshi Maharaj, from the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), are aimed at stirring up tension with Muslims.
Opposition Congress party spokesman Sanjay Jha called his comments “ludicrous and provocative”.
Last month, Sakshi Maharaj said the killer of Mahatma Gandhi was a patriot.
The hardliner, who dresses in saffron robes, is known for creating controversies.
“The concept of four wives and 40 children will not work in India,” the MP is reported to have told a gathering in an apparent reference to Muslims, who are legally allowed to have four wives.
“The time has come when a Hindu woman must produce at least four children in order to protect Hindu religion.”
The BBC’s Geeta Pandey in Delhi says hard-line Hindus regularly accuse Muslim women of being “breeding machines” who have lots of children in a bid to overtake the Hindu population.
