The Congress has slammed Lok Sabha MP and All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief Badruddin Ajmal for his statement that "Muslims will not listen to anyone and will continue to produce children".

While attacking Ajmal, Congress leader Jitin Prasada said, "I believe voluntary population control is the need of the hour. When people like Badruddin distort the issue on religious lines, they are hand-in-glove with the communal parties that want to play politics at the cost of the future of our youth/children.

"Statements like these give issues of national importance a religious colour and give a handle to parties like the BJP to exploit it for political gains."

Prasada also said that people like Ajmal are sole reason for the backwardness in the Muslim community and that Muslims also want their share in the government jobs. Prasada questioned Ajmal saying, "Who is he to decide on their future?"

Ajmal, while reacting on the Assam government's decision against providing government jobs to people having more than two children, had said on Saturday, "Muslims will not listen to anyone and will continue to produce children. Government is not anyway giving jobs to Muslims, and we do not expect it also." He said that Muslims should have any number of children and they can educate them.

Prasada said the resources are limited and if the population growth continues like this, then we will not be able to cope up with the world.

Prasada cited the 1998 resolution of the Congress which says that the party is for voluntary population control.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day address had highlighted the need for the population control.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)