Madhya Pradesh Public Health and Family Welfare Minister Rustam Singh Friday said that only a wife can tell if her husband is impotent, drawing flak from the Opposition Congress. “No man will ever disclose that he is impotent,’’ the former IPS officer told reporters when they sought his reaction to a starred question about decrease in sperm count of men and increasing incidence of impotency.
Congress MLA Sunderlal Tiwari, who had asked the question, was not present in the House when question hour began. There was no discussion on the issue and no supplementary questions. In the written reply, the minister said the government was not working on any plan to address low sperm count and rising impotency.
The minister’s reaction was sought when he came out of the House. He said he was wondering how the MLA knew who was impotent and who was not. Congress leaders said Singh’s remarks were indecent. Tiwari slammed him for his ignorance and said he did not expect such a reply to a serious question.