Adoption row: Mamata supports Missionaries of Charity stand

Kolkata, Oct 11: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today supported the Missionaries of Charity on stopping adoption at their orphanages following a recent change in rule by the Centre.

"We fully support Missionaries of Charity and Sister Prema in their decision to opt out of adoption programme.

They have a right to do so," Banerjee tweeted."The essence of India is unity in diversity. This is the pillar of our great nation," she said.

Following revision in guidelines on adoption by the Centre, the Missionaries of Charity, set up by late Mother Teresa, had said in a statement yesterday that it had stopped adoption at their orphanages two months ago.

"This decision was arrived at by the Missionaries of Charity Headquarters in Kolkata soon after we received the new "Guidelines Governing Adoption of Children, 2015" issued under a notification from the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development," the statement had said.

The move comes after revised guidelines were notified in July making single parents (separated, divorced, unwed mothers) eligible to adopt through online registration of prospective parents.

The Women and Child Development Ministry had recently said they would identify those child care homes, which are not complying with the revised guidelines of the Juvenile Justice Act, one of which includes orphanages run by the Missionaries.

PTI