Assam: All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief Maulana Badruddin Ajmal, in an interview with a Hindi channel, made a bizarre statement that has gone viral on social media.
Speaking to the Hindi channel, he said that rural Muslims in India produce more kids because they are devoid of any other forms of entertainment. He says in a lamenting tone that poverty is the main cause for population explosion amongst poor rural Muslims in India.
"The problem of population explosion among poor Muslims would not go away till the time they are poor. They don't have any means to entertain themselves. They don't have a television. Most of them don't even have homes and fans. In such a scenario what would poor couples do except produce children," he says.
He also says that the reproduction rate amongst urban Muslims is remarkably less compared to the rural Muslims as they are well educated and financially empowered. He says that the only way to tackle this problem of population explosion is by ensuring that rural Muslims have easy access to education and employment opportunities.
In the recent 2021 Assam Assembly election, the AIUDF is in alliance with the Indian National Congress and BOPF (Bodoland People's Front). The Badruddin Ajmal lead AIUDF had contested from 74 Assam Vidhan Sabha constituencies in the 2016 Assam Assembly election out of which they managed to win 13 seats.
In the 2021 Assam Assembly elections, AIUDF has fielded its candidates from 14 Vidhan Sabha constituencies. (Sonai, Manchakar, Dhubri, Gauripur, Bilasipara West, Bilasipara East, Bhabanipur, Jania, Badarpur, Hailakandi, Katlichera, Algapur, Dhing and Jamunamukh)
In recent news, a few AIUDF and Congress candidates who contested in the Assam Assembly elections have been shifted to Jaipur as a "precautionary measure." The candidates have been settled in Fairmont hotel in Jaipur. After their ally BOPF candidate from Tamulpur Rangja Khungur Basumatary joined the BJP, the mahajot alliance is suspicious of further losing out on candidates.
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