The Union Health Ministry has raised concerns over the case of late Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala's parents welcoming a baby through In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF). This comes as the singer's mother, Charan Kaur, aged 58, gave birth to their second child, raising questions about the legality of the procedure.
According to regulations set by the Health Ministry, only women aged between 21 to 50 years are eligible to undergo IVF treatment to conceive a child. However, Charan Kaur's age surpasses this limit, prompting an inquiry from the Ministry.
The couple decided to pursue IVF nearly two years after the loss of their only son, who was murdered in Punjab's Mansa district at the age of 28 on May 29, 2022. The singer had also unsuccessfully contested the Punjab Assembly elections in 2022 on a Congress ticket from Mansa.
In a letter dated March 14 to the Punjab government, the Union Health Ministry sought a report on Charan Kaur's IVF treatment after coming across a newspaper article on February 27 detailing her pursuit of the procedure.
"Under Section 21(g) (i) of the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021, the age limit prescribed for a woman going under ART services is between 21-50 years.
Therefore, you are requested to look into the matter and submit a report to this department of the action taken in this case as per the ART (Regulation) Act, 2021," it said.
Confirming the inquiry, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government in Punjab reassured the public via Twitter, stating that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann respects the sentiments and dignity of Punjabis, clarifying that it's the Central Government that requested the documents.
The situation escalated on Tuesday when Sidhu Moose Wala's father, Balkaur Singh, accused the Punjab government of harassment following the birth of their second son on March 17.
Singh claimed that officials were demanding proof of the baby's legality and insisted that he would provide all necessary documents as they had followed all legal procedures.
