The Congress has opposed the draft law on surrogacy, which proposes a ban on commercial surrogacy. The party termed the legislation retrograde, and said it seems that the Centre had “surrogated” the power to draft the legislation to the RSS or VHP.
“It is an anti-liberal, anti-progressive and patriarchal law,” party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said here on Friday, adding that the Bill is a “blanket ban” that does not look at individual cases on their merit.
The Bills drafted by the UPA government in 2008 and 2010 were comprehensive and dealt with the issue on a wider canvas, said Singhvi. “Now NRIs, singles, married couple with a child and homosexuals will not be eligible to take the route of surrogacy,” he said, adding that only a micro minority of the people go for a surrogate child and the new law will close the door on that option. He urged the Centre to hold wider consultations on the Bill.