Gogoi denies statement on making birth control mandatory

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Tuesday denied making any statement on making birth control mandatory but said he had only suggested a small family.

"I have never made any statement on making birth control mandatory in the state," Gogoi said in a statement denying reports that appeared in this connection in a section of the media.

The chief minister said that he was only referring to the norms of National Family Planning Programme and could only suggest a family to go for small families.

"This cannot be interpreted as an idea of making birth control compulsory for the people of the state," he added.

Reports in a section of the local media here said the CM had said that illiteracy was high among the minority community as birth rate among them was high and this should be controlled.