"Even though the law does not permit abortion, people are openly violating the rules and getting their female child aborted across Uttar Pradesh," Maulana Khalid Rasheed, Lucknow's Naib Imam and head of Darul Uloom Firangi Mahal told rediff.com.
Responding to a query made by Dr Huma Khwaja, a professor from a local college, Maulana Khalid Rasheed issued a fatwa banning both sex determination and abortion of a female child.
"Abortion is strictly banned under Islam and the latest census report has clearly shown that it was female foeticide that has led to a disproportion between the male and female population in the state. I therefore feel that timely action alone can save the situation from turning worse," he pointed out.
As per the census report, disproportionate male-female ratio was found in as many as 63 of UP's 71 districts. Even as the state's population had gone up by 3 crore over the past ten years, the number of female children in the age group of zero to six years had dropped by 10 lakh, according to the report.
The male-female ratio, which stood at 1000:916 in 2001, was found to be 1000: 899 in 2011.
Meanwhile, the number of ultrasound centres in the state rose from about 400 in 2001 to more than 4000 now. The maulana is of the view that many of these centres fail to discourage female infanticide.
