'Reward bachelors like me, snatch voting rights of people having more than 2 children'

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev on Sunday said that those who marry and have more than two children should be denied their voting rights while those who practice bachelorhood should be rewarded.

HARIDWAR: Yoga guru Baba Ramdev on Sunday said that those who marry and have more than two children should be denied their voting rights while those who practice bachelorhood should be rewarded. "In this country, those who, like me, do not marry, should be honoured, and those who marry and have more than two children, their voting rights should be taken away," he said while addressing a gathering at his Yogpeeth in Haridwar.

He said that though population control was a "political issue" but "when the population was less in Indian tradition Vedas advocated having up to 10 children. Those who afford to have as many and have the need for as many, may have them. But as the now population now has crossed 1.25 billion, it is not the right thing to do." He said that a fully awakened and conscious "soul" was more powerful than millions of people.

Ramdev also said BJP MPs should bring a legislation in Parliament to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya. "Parliament is the highest institution in a democracy," Ramdev said.