Anil Singh, UP Shiv Sena President

For announcing a Rs 21,000 cash reward for Hindu families that have 10 or more children

Shiv Sena’s national party President Uddhav Thackeray has two sons but the party’s Uttar Pradesh President Anil Singh believes that the minimum number of offspring a family must have is 10. At least. The party unit there has announced a Rs 21,000 reward for those who have so many children as long as they are Hindus.

Singh has claimed that district units in UP have been directed to locate such families. This might be the obvious hate politics of tapping into the old bogey of the community’s population growth being outrun by that of minorities. But with the Shiv Sena’s marginalisation even in its home state of Maharashtra, thankfully no one is going to take Singh seriously. And even if anyone does, the economics does take some swallowing.

At Rs 21,000 for 10 children, one child will get Rs 2,100. Granted it is free money, but it not exactly going to change lives. Uniquely, in a country that has been so desperately encouraging family planning, Singh says he will do the opposite, and from 1 November, party workers will even “close down all government medical help centres.” Despite the threat, it is only being greeted with amusement because Singh has to first conjure those party workers to begin anything.

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