Friday, January 13 2006 18:03 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Sagar Island (WB): Sankaracharya of Puri Swami Nischalananda Saraswati today (Jan 13,2006) strongly advocated a ban on abortion and family planning procedures.

He said that family planning measures were proving to be the bane of Hindus who would 'become minorities in India quite soon if these practices continue.'

Talking to reporters here, the Sankaracharya, now here on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, said that control upon oneself was the best process to 'control the urge and not abortion or family planning measures'.

He also demanded that Ganga Sagar, a place of Hindu pilgrimage, be declared a holy place like Haridwar, and that non-vegetarian food like meat, fish and egg be banned from the area.

The Sankaracharya said that the Left Front government in West Bengal should respect the sentiments of the Hindus and take steps to ban non-vegetarian food at the holy site.