Archive · 5 Oct 2026
Imam Association Chief’s Remarks Ignite Debate Over Family Size
A leader of the All India Imam Association spoke about how many children families should have.
Maulana Sajid Rashidi said six children was the minimum for a Muslim family.
He said some Muslim families have even more children.
He also urged Hindu families to have larger families.
Rashidi was replying to a politician who had called on Hindu youth to marry early and have five children.
Rashidi said the discussion was really about concern over the growing Muslim population.
He also made claims about census work and names being removed from voter lists.
The remarks have brought renewed attention to population and family-size debates in India.
All India Imam Association president Maulana Sajid Rashidi said six children was the minimum figure for Muslim families.
Rashidi said Muslim families commonly have more than five children, with some having eight, 10, or 11 to 12.
He urged Hindu families to have larger families, saying they should have at least 10 children.
Rashidi was responding to BJP MP Gajendra Singh Patel’s appeal for Hindu youth to marry early and have five children.
Rashidi said the debate was driven by concern over Muslims’ population growth and made claims about census and voter-list deletions.
- Who
- Maulana Sajid Rashidi, president of the All India Imam Association, and BJP MP Gajendra Singh Patel.
- What
- Rashidi said six children was the minimum for Muslim families and urged Hindu families to have larger families.
- When
- Rashidi’s remarks were reported in an IANS post dated October 4, 2026.
- Where
- The report mentions Lucknow and Delhi; it does not specify where Rashidi made the remarks.
- Why
- Rashidi was responding to Patel’s appeal for Hindu youth to marry early and have five children, and said the debate reflected concern about Muslim population growth.
Larger-family appeal
Rashidi’s response
Family size
Larger-family appeal
Gajendra Singh Patel appealed to Hindu youth to marry early and have five children each.
Rashidi’s response
Rashidi said six children was the minimum for Muslim families and urged Hindu families to have at least 10.
What drives the debate
Larger-family appeal
Patel’s appeal, as described in the report, called for larger Hindu families.
Rashidi’s response
Rashidi said the concern was not population generally but the increase in the Muslim population.
- Speaker
- Maulana Sajid Rashidi, president of the All India Imam Association
- Minimum figure cited
- Rashidi described six children as the minimum for a Muslim family.
- Further remarks
- He said some Muslim families have eight, 10, or 11 to 12 children, and urged Hindu families to have at least 10.
- Prior appeal
- BJP MP Gajendra Singh Patel had appealed to Hindu youth to marry early and have five children each.
- Census claim
- Rashidi claimed that a proper census had not been conducted since 2011.
- Voter-list claim
- Rashidi claimed three crore names had been deleted in Uttar Pradesh and estimated that two crore were Muslims; these were his assertions.
- Reported date
- The cited IANS post is dated October 4, 2026.