VHP Wants Clarity on AP Scheme for Increasing Population

Vijayawada: Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) welcomed the Andhra Pradesh government’s proposed incentive scheme to increase the population, as announced by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. He also demanded that aid be limited to the Hindu community only.

Thanikella Satya Ravikumar, secretary of VHP Bhagyanagar Kshetram, said their organization supports the government’s move to encourage larger families in view of declining birth rate, which is reported to be at 1.5 per cent in AP.

The CM had recently announced that parents with a third child will get an incentive of ₹30,000, while those with a fourth child will get an incentive of ₹40,000.

c The organization tried to point out that slogans such as “Two children are enough” and later “One child is ideal” significantly reduced family size among Hindus.

Satya Ravikumar argued that the Muslim population increased at a higher rate during this period due to polygamy and large families, while Christian communities grew through religious conversion. He expressed concern that the proposed plan, if implemented without clear guidelines, would disproportionately benefit communities that are already experiencing higher population growth.

VHP demanded the Andhra Pradesh government to issue a clear notification stating that the incentives will be applicable only to Hindus in order to restore demographic balance. He warned that universal extension of the scheme could upset the social balance and further weaken the Hindu birth rate.