Population rising rapidly in Bihar's Muslim-dominated districts : Bihar BJP president Sanjay Jaiswal
Patna, Sep 7: Bihar BJP president Sanjay Jaiswal Wednesday stirred the hornets' nest by claiming that population growth rate is the "highest in the world" in two districts of the state partly due to the alleged high rate of influx of Bangladeshi infiltrators.
Jaiswal identified Kishanganj and Araria as the two districts where, he said, the rate of population growth was matched only by "tribal areas of Pakistan and parts of Ethiopia".
According to the 2011 census, Kishanganj has a 67 per cent Muslim population, the highest in any Bihar district, followed by adjoining Araria where the figure is 43 per cent.
The BJP leader had made the remarks in Araria, where he was galvanizing support for Union Home Minister Amit Shah's rally at nearby Purnea later this month.
Later when approached here by journalists, Jaiswal said "I had stated a fact which has nothing to do with the union home minister's tour on September 23-24".
Shah's proposed visit to Bihar will be his first since Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's volte face stripped BJP of power. Kumar's JD(U) has been apprehensive that the tour will be capitalized for communal polarisation.
Jaiswal, however, maintained that he was insisting on the need for "population stabilization" which, he said, has been achieved in West Bengal.
The BJP leader avoided the hardline stance of blaming high population growth on alleged aversion of Muslims towards family planning. He, however, went on to add "one reason behind the high population growth in Araria and Kishanganj is the influx of Bangladeshi immigrants - a fact people are not willing to acknowledge".
He also did not demand a law to curb population growth, like party colleagues like Union Minister Giriraj Singh and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, but said there was need to "incentivise those who produce less children".
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Bihar: Over 150 children fall ill after consuming 'mid-day meal' in Saharsa
Saharsa (PTI): More than 150 children were taken ill after allegedly consuming food that was part of the mid-day meal in a school in Bihar’s Saharsa district, a senior official said on Thursday.
The incident occurred at a middle school in Baluaha village of the district.
The official said that 115 children were undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital, while around 50 students were admitted to Mahishi Public Health Centre.
“We received information that several children fell ill after consuming the mid-day meal in Baluaha. The children were initially treated at the primary health centre, but later, many were referred to the Sadar Hospital,” Saharsa District Magistrate Deepesh Kumar told reporters.
“According to doctors, the health condition of the children has improved, but they will be kept under observation for some time. There is no need to panic. Some kids are having mild fever. They are being treated accordingly,” Kumar said.
Meanwhile, family members of some children claimed that a snake was found in the container in which cooked pulses was stored at the school.
Of the 545 students present in the school, 200 had already eaten their meals by the time the snake was spotted, and later complained of stomach ache and vomiting, they said.
Regarding the claims, the DM said food samples have been collected from the school.
“We will be able to comment on this only after the results of the tested samples arrive,” he said.
