New Delhi, Apr 26: After poll strategist Prashant Kishor declined the Congress offer to join the party, former Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu met him on Tuesday and shared a picture with him saying "old friends are the best".
"Had a wonderful meeting with my old friend PK Old wine, Old gold and Old friends still the best!!!" Sidhu said on Twitter, sharing his picture with Kishor.
Earlier in the day, Kishor declined the Congress offer to join it and be a part of its Empowered Action Group for 2024 Lok Sabha elections saying more than him the Congress party needs leadership and collective will to fix deep-rooted structural problems through reforms.
The poll strategist has been engaged with the Congress for bringing such changes and evolving the party's strategy for upcoming elections and had made a detailed presentation on his plan to top party leaders.
Had a wonderful meeting with my old friend PK … Old wine , Old gold and Old friends still the best !!! pic.twitter.com/OqOvkJqJmF
— Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) April 26, 2022
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Belagavi (PTI): Accepting that the female foeticide has not stopped in the state, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Tuesday said that the government is taking strict measures to prevent it.
The minister said the government is appointing separate nodal officers in all districts and tightening measures to prevent foeticide, which he called a "social evil".
He also assured that the government will consider strengthening legislation to control such activities.
The minister was responding to a question by BJP MLC C T Ravi in the Legislative Council.
"Female foeticides have certainly not stopped. If you look at the sex ratio, there is a lot of difference. I accept that this is happening," Rao said.
"Foeticides are not happening under pressure; voluntarily, it is happening, for not wanting a girl child. These things are happening based on the sex determination of the foetus at some hospitals. Sex determination is illegal, but with the advancement in technology, portable ultrasound machines have been developed, which can be easily carried anywhere, and scans and tests can be done. This needs to be controlled. We will bring it to the notice of the central government," he said.
In some districts and in a few hospitals, a higher number of male child births is happening. It is found with the help of intelligence input, the minister said.
"Information is being gathered on the taluk in which the male-female ratio is worsening, what is happening in which hospital, and appropriate action is being taken to crack down on such a network, after proper evaluation."
Decoy operations have been done at seven places in the last two years, to identify those involved in illegal activities linked to female foeticides, and actions have been taken against officials and hospitals involved, he said, adding that more needs to be done on priority.
Responding to a question by Ravi about whether any stringent legislation is being brought, Rao said, the government will consider strengthening the legislation and making it stricter to control this.
"Some amendments have been made to the existing laws in the last two years....advanced technology and the internet is being used to carry out such things, also oral medicines for abortions are available over the counter.
We need to look into bringing legislation to control them. The Food and Drug Administration has issued instructions to pharmacists that the sale of such drugs should be documented."
The minister also said that measures are also being taken for the effective implementation of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC & PNDT) Act, and awareness is being created against the identification of female foetuses and female foeticide.
