Mary Millben, an African-American actress and singer, has commended Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his support of women and his leadership in India, stating that he is the ideal leader for the country’s progress. She made these remarks in response to derogatory language used by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in the state assembly while discussing the role of education and women in population control.
Millben pointed out that the 2024 election season is underway globally, including in India and the United States. She emphasized that election seasons offer an opportunity for change, where outdated policies and non-progressive individuals can be replaced with leaders and values that resonate with the beliefs of all citizens and are in the best interest of a nation’s collective future.
She further elaborated, “Many people ask why I support Prime Minister Modi and closely follow Indian affairs. The answer is simple. I love India… And I believe Prime Minister Modi is the best leader for India, and the progress of Indian citizens. He’s the best leader for the US-India relationship and for global economic stability… The PM stands for women.”
Mary Millben criticized Nitish Kumar’s derogatory remarks in the state assembly and called for a “courageous” woman to step forward and announce her candidacy for Bihar Chief Minister. She also urged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to empower a woman to lead in Bihar.
She stated, “After #NitishKumar Ji’s comments, I believe a courageous woman needs to step up and declare her candidacy to run for Chief Minister of Bihar. If I were a citizen of #India, I would move to Bihar and run for Chief Minister. The BJP should empower a woman to lead in Bihar. This would be the true sentiment of women’s empowerment and development in response. Or #Bihar, do as #SRK admonished in #Jawan, ‘vote’ and bring change,” as posted by Mary Millben.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly criticized Nitish Kumar for his derogatory remarks regarding women in the context of population control, emphasizing that such offensive language had no place in the state assembly.
During an election rally in Madhya Pradesh, PM Modi did not mention Nitish Kumar by name but alluded to the remarks made on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, Nitish Kumar, the Bihar Chief Minister, sparked controversy when he used derogatory language in the state assembly while underscoring the importance of girls’ education to control population growth.
After widespread condemnation of his remarks, Mr. Kumar issued an apology on Wednesday, stating, “If my words were wrong, then I apologize for that. If anyone was hurt by my words, I take them back.”
His comments also drew outrage from the National Commission for Women (NCW), which called for an unconditional apology.
Sekar Rao 
Nisham Ismail