“Who’s Stopping You from Having Eight Children?”: Owaisi Strikes Back at BJP Leader Navneet Rana

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has launched a sharp rebuttal to BJP leader Navneet Rana’s comments on population growth. Rana had urged Hindus to have three to four children to prevent India’s demographic balance from shifting. Without naming her directly, Owaisi asked why she was stopping anyone from having more children and suggested that people could even have eight.

Addressing a rally in Akola, Maharashtra, Owaisi said, “I have six children and my beard is turning white. Some people say we should only have four children. Why four? Have eight children—who’s stopping you?” He also referred to statements by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, both of whom have encouraged larger families, questioning why the same principle was not applied consistently. “I challenge you to have twenty children. What kind of joke is this?” he added.

Rana’s Original Statement

Navneet Rana had cited examples of individuals with multiple wives and children, warning that their growing numbers could change India’s demographic makeup. She suggested that Hindus should have at least three to four children to protect the nation. “Some people have four wives and nineteen children. We should not be satisfied with just one child; we should also have three to four children,” she said.

Political Reactions

Rana’s remarks sparked political controversy. Congress MP Manickam Tagore criticized what he called the “irrational thinking” promoted by the RSS and BJP. “We should approach population growth scientifically, not through superstitious or unscientific methods. India’s population growth is already a concern,” he said.

Owaisi’s comments reflect the sharp polarization in public debates over population and demographic politics in India, highlighting the clash between scientific approaches and political rhetoric.