BJP Mahila Morcha stages demostration against female foeticide

New Delhi, July 11 (UNI) The BJP Mahila Morcha, under the leadership of its national president Karuna Shukla, today staged a demonstration against female foeticide at the Jantar Mantar here.

Addressing the demonstrators, senior party leaders Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj and Sumitra Mahajan pitched for stringent punishment of those who commit the crime.

Ms Shukla said the current law was full of loopholes. Female foeticide had nothing to do with financial status of families or the level of someone's education, she said, calling for strategies to change mindsets instead.

The BJP president said there was need for such a law that those guilty of female foeticide get ranked alongside murderers. NGO organisations should help in compulsory registration of ultrasound machines and to fight the practice, he said.

Ms Swaraj expressed concern that the problem was more acute in affluent regions, especially in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. Ms Mahajan pointed out that the technology developed to determine the condition of the foetus was being misused, resulting in the skewed sex ratio.

The demonstration concluded with a pledge to fight female foeticide.

A party delegation would call on President A P J Abdul Kalam later today as part of efforts to bring greater national focus on the issue.

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