Sir: A Bharatya Janata Party member of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly has propounded a new genetic theory. He says that there is a relationship of direct proportionality between Muslim-population growth and heinous crimes such as rapes and murders. His panacea for reduction in crime rate is arresting the rise of the Muslim population. He made no bones in claiming that to forestall the creation of another Pakistan within India, legislation to control the unrestrained Muslim population was necessary. This genetic theory is the latest addition to BJP’s other theories like: (a) all religions including Islam have prohibited beef eating. (b) It is a sin for a non-Muslim to touch a cow. (c) The cow is called a holy cow as Jesus Christ was born in a cow shed. (d) A cow both inhales and exhales oxygen. (e) Cow urine (gau mootr) and dung (gau gober) have medicinal properties. (f) A cow has equal rights as any other Indian citizen. (g) If beef eating is shunned, crime including mob lynching would stop. We should expect more of such absurd and farfetched theories as a prelude to the Indian parliamentary elections next year. DEEBA MALIK Islamabad Published in Daily Times, July 30th 2018.