Sushma slams celebs for opting surrogacy

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday launched a veiled attack on celebrities for having surrogate babies, saying a "thing which started as a necessity, has now turned into a luxury."

Addressing a press conference here, she said, "Celebrities are having surrogate babies. In spite of having two children, they have a third, just because the wife couldn't take the pain, they get someone else to bear their child."

The Centre's move implies a strong stand against celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan, who had surrogate babies after two children and even Tusshar Kapoor, who became a single father recently.

These comments came after the Union Cabinet gave its approval for introduction of Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016, which aims at regulating commissioning of surrogacy in the country.

The External Affairs Minister said that the Bill prohibits commercial surrogacy and allows ethical surrogacy to needy infertile couples.

"It also prohibits Single parents, homosexual couples, live-in relationships couples to opt for altruistic surrogacy," said Swaraj.

The Bill will be introduced in the Winter Session of Parliament.

Commercial surrogacy is banned in most developed countries, including Australia, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Sweden, New Zealand, Japan and Thailand among others.