Yogi meets Bhagwat; population issue 'discussed', say sources

Prayagraj (UP): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday met RSS head Mohan Bhagwat here, with the two leaders learnt to have discussed the population issue.

According to sources, Chief Minister Adityanath flew from Lucknow to meet Bhagwat and the two were together for about an hour.

The two had lunch together after which the CM returned, they said, adding that both discussed the population issue. Adityanath also invited the RSS chief to Deepotsav at Ayodhya on October 23.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Dattatreya Hosabale had on Wednesday said religious conversion and migration from Bangladesh were causing "population imbalance" and called for strict implementation of anti-conversion laws.

Bhagwat had attended an RSS meet here from October 16 to 19 in which the population problem was discussed.

The Uttar Pradesh State Law Commission had last year submitted to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath a draft population control bill and made a slew of recommendations, including additional incentives to public servants for adopting the one-child norm and banning those who violate the two-child policy from contesting local bodies polls.

The recommendations were made in the 19th report on Population Control, Stabilisation and Welfare. The report along with the draft Uttar Pradesh Population Control, Stabilisation and Welfare Bill, 2021 was handed over to the CM. But, no further action was initiated.