Pragya Singh Thakur demands population control bill, uniform civic code in India

BHOPAL: Taking a leaf from the Uttar Pradesh government's draft population control bill which proposed a two-child policy, BJP Lok Sabha member from Bhopal, Pragya Singh Thakur has advocated for a population control bill in the country. Thakur said Bangladeshis and Rohingyas intruding India are a burden on the resources meant for the local population. The BJP leader also demanded a uniform civil code (UCC) in the country.
"Population control has recently been discussed in Uttar Pradesh and Assam. There should be population control in the entire country. Those who have intruded our country are Bangladeshis and Rohingyas, they are a burden on the country's limited resources and also aggravates the security challenges posed to the country. It is painful that people in the country are facing hardships and not getting their due share. Instead, some people are raising them (Rohingyas) for political gains and votes. They (Rohingyas) were given ration cards like in Bengal," Thakur told TOI.
Thakur also expressed concern over the increasing Rohingya population in parts of central India. "I have learnt that Rohingyas are living in Bhopal. Those who are entering the country are traitors. We need to be careful. We want a uniform civil code (UCC) in the country and above all a population control bill as early as possible. I will raise this matter in the Parliament and take up with the authorities concerned," she said.
The Uttar Pradesh State Law Commission has recently released a draft bill on population control that proposes a two-child policy. The draft bill said that those violating the proposed legislation would be barred from contesting local body elections, applying for government jobs and getting subsidies under government welfare schemes, among other measures. The state government has invited suggestions from the public on the draft bill, the Uttar Pradesh Population (Control, Stabilisation and Welfare) Bill, 2021.
When asked about 26 suspected MLAs from the Rohingya community recently elected to the West Bengal assembly, the BJP leader said the matter is under investigation.
Rohingyas are an ethnic group, largely comprising Muslims, who predominantly live in the Western Myanmar province of Rakhine. They speak a dialect of Bengali, as opposed to the commonly spoken Burmese language. Since they are not citizens, they are not entitled to be part of civil service.
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), there are approximately 40,000 Rohingyas living in India. They have reportedly reached India from Bangladesh through the land route over the years. Reports submitted in the Parliament disclosed that all the Rohingyas in India were “illegal immigrants” and they will be deported soon, a decision that has surprised many given the record of India accepting refugees.
Without overtly mentioning Rohingya, the Home Ministry in an advisory to states said 'infiltration from the Rakhine State of Myanmar into Indian territory. A case is pending in Supreme Court with the petitioner asking the Union government to stop with its deportation plans.
A day before, Pragya Singh Thakur also raised a sudden spurt of `love jihad' cases in Madhya Pradesh and blamed the police for increasing conversions after the marriage. She also reached Kolar police station on Saturday evening along with a 22-year-old woman, who alleged that she was molested but cops were not taking appropriate action. Later it was found that a case was already registered and the accused were arrested.