Banning burqa clad women in hospitals not the solution: BMC

MUMBAI: Following Sena's demand for a ban on burqa in wake of the recent baby theft case, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation ( BMC) has said it cannot stop burqa-clad Muslim women in hospitals and would instead ensure deployment of women guards to prevent such incidents.

"We cannot ban burqa-clad women in hospitals. This is not the solution. The women guards in hospitals conduct checks...so there seems to be no problem," Additional Municipal Commissioner A K Singh said.

As faces of women have to be checked, it is best to have female guards... then no one will mind, Singh said.

Sena's demand came after a woman wearing burqa allegedly stole a two-month-old boy identified as Ayush Mishra from the civic-run V N Desai Hospital in suburban Santacruz on Friday.

"If the burqa is to be used to steal children, then we demand that it be banned as per law," said an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana' yesterday.

The BMC will soon deploy 200 women guards at major civic and peripheral hospitals in the city, Additional Municipal Commissioner Manisha Mhaiskar said.