No bigger sin than female foeticide, says Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called for an end of female foeticide, terming it a sin and said that he seeks a way to stop the practice.

"I denounce the practice of female foeticide in the country. There is no bigger sin than it. I seek help of people in the field of art and culture in shaking the society to stop the menace. Perhaps we can hold kavi sammelans on the social evil, along with spreading the message about cleanliness," Prime Minister Modi said, while speaking at a function at the Benares Hindu University (BHU).

"It pains me to see the problem of malnutrition of women and children in a country where there is a tradition of feeding even ants and cows," he added.

According to UNICEF, 80 percent of the districts in India have recorded a declining sex ratio since 1991, with Punjab being the worst. The 2001 census showed the child sex ratio in India as 927 girls for 1000 boys.