Andhra Pradesh Lok Sabha MP Kalisetti Appala Naidu has justified his controversial scheme of offering ₹50,000 for the birth of a third child and a cow if the child is a boy. He claims the initiative is necessary to address what he calls a "very poor next generation" and the need to boost India's population, despite the country already having over 1.44 billion people.

The proposal, seen by many as bizarre and sexist due to the added incentive for male children, has received support from Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. Some have even called it a "revolutionary" move, despite criticism over its discriminatory nature.

Kalisetti Appala Naidu made this offer on Saturday during a public meeting in his constituency, Vizianagaram, a stronghold of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

His announcement comes at a time when there is an ongoing debate between the central government and southern states, led by Tamil Nadu, over delimitation: the process of redrawing Lok Sabha constituency boundaries based on the latest population data.

Southern states argue that they may lose Lok Sabha seats because they have controlled their population growth better than northern states, many of which are BJP strongholds. For example, Tamil Nadu currently has 39 seats, which is 7.2% of the total. However, if constituencies are redrawn based on the latest population data, the state's number of seats could decrease.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin is leading the opposition to this move. He has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure that any increase in the total number of MPs is done fairly. He wants the number of seats for each state to be calculated based on the 1971 census so that Tamil Nadu is not punished for keeping its population under control.

Southern states oppose delimitation changes

Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had promised in 2000 that constituency boundaries would be redrawn based on the 1971 population data. Now, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin is leading the opposition to any changes that could reduce seats for southern states.

Stalin invited leaders from seven states, including Punjab and Bengal, for a meeting on March 22. He called the new delimitation plan unfair, as it punishes states that controlled their population. He insisted that southern states should not lose their representation in Parliament.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu was also invited, but his attendance is uncertain. As a BJP ally, he recently said that delimitation should not be linked to population control. He warned that the southern states could face problems in the future due to an ageing population and a shrinking workforce.

Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu said high population levels, once seen as a problem, are now an advantage for states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. He hinted at a shift in policy to support population growth.

Meanwhile, the central government denied claims of unfair treatment. It stated that the new education policy does not force students to learn Hindi and assured that southern states would not lose Lok Sabha seats. However, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin questioned whether northern states would still get more seats.

The issue led to protests in Parliament, with opposition parties walking out in protest. BJP leader JP Nadda criticized the walkout, while Union Home Minister Amit Shah reassured Tamil Nadu that its representation would not decrease.

With Tamil Nadu’s Assembly elections coming up next year, topics like delimitation and language policies are expected to be key issues.

You might also be interested in - Air India flight returns to Chicago after 11 out of 13 toilets stop working