New Delhi: Third-born children should be bereft of voting rights in order to control the population growth in India, Yoga guru Baba Ramdev said at a press conference in Haridwar. He also said that the third child should not be allowed to contest polls or enjoy government privileges.

"India's population should not be more than 150 crores in the next 50 years as we are not prepared or ready to bear more than that. This is only possible when the government makes a law that third child would not be allowed to vote, neither contest election nor he/she enjoys any type of privileges and facilities given by the government," Ramdev was quoted as saying by the ANI.

The Yoga guru said that such measures would prevent people from having more than two children, irrespective of religion.

He also demanded a nation-wide ban of manufacture, sale and purchase of alcohol adding that India is a land of sages. "In Islamic countries, liquor is banned. If in

Islamic countries it can be banned then why not in India? This is the land of sages. There should be a complete ban on liquor in India," Ramdev said.

He also called for a ban on cow slaughter, saying that it is the only way to end conflicts between cow smugglers and ‘gau rakshaks’.

“For those who want to eat meat, there are several other types of meat which they can eat," he said.