Eradicate tuberculosis with law against spitting in public places: BJP MP

New Delhi: There should be a law against spitting in public places as it is a cause for tuberculosis cases, a BJP member on Friday sought in the Lok Sabha.

Raising the issue on the World Tuberculosis Day, Meenakshi Lekhi said spitting in public places should be stopped at some point or the other.

During Zero Hour, she said open defecation and spitting were also among the reasons for tuberculosis, which is an epidemic resulting in many deaths.

"Thookne ki khilaf kanoon aana chahiye (There should be law against spitting)," she said, adding that even people affected with AIDS die due to tuberculosis.

Another BJP member Om Birla raised the issue of "fundamentalists" issuing 'fatwa' (religious decree) against people and cited the example of a recent 'fatwa' against a 16-year-old girl in Assam. Everyone in the country has the right to live and the right to freedom of expression, he said.

Stressing that fundamentalists cannot dictate terms, Birla urged the government to come out with an action plan against such activities.

Expressing concern over the condition of Sikhs living in Pakistan, Prem Singh Chandumajra (SAD) said the government there has not included Sikh community in the ongoing census.

Indian government should be take up the issue with Pakistan at the diplomatic level as there are around 20,000 Sikhs in the neighbouring country.