'Have four children, get Rs 1 lakh': Chief of Madhya Pradesh govt board tells Brahmin couples

Pandit Vishnu Rajoria is the president of Parshuram Kalyan Board

Young Brahmin couples who decide to have four children will get Rs 1 lakh, said Pandit Vishnu Rajoria, the head of a Madhya Pradesh government board.

"Whether or not I am the board president, the award will be given,” he said while addressing an event as quoted by NDTV.

Rajoria, who is the president of Parshuram Kalyan Board,  said the number of "heretics" is increasing because people are not focusing on their families.

"I have high hopes from the youngsters. We can't expect much from the older people. Listen carefully, you are responsible for the protection of the future generation. Youngsters get settled and stop after one child. This is very problematic. I urge you to have at least four," said Rajoria.

Rajoria said he has been often told that education is expensive. "Manage somehow, but don't lag in giving birth to children. Otherwise, heretics will capture this country."

Last year, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed worry about the region's aging population and encouraged couples to have more children. He also revealed that his government plans to introduce a law that would allow only individuals with two or more children to participate in local body elections.

His Tamil Nadu counterpart MK Stalin also encouraged people to have more children. Speaking at a function in Chennai last year, where free marriages were arranged, Stalin referenced an old Tamil saying, "padhinarum petru peru vazhvu vazhga," which means that people should have 16 different types of wealth including fame, education, lineage, wealth, etc., and not 16 children. Gradually, people have come to believe in raising a small family for prosperity.