Lucknow, May 4 (PTI): A husband has moved Allahabad High Court challenging his wife?s right to terminate pregnancy if she is not physically fit to give birth to a baby and argued that his consent should be taken before any move by her.

Rajiv Nandi filed a petition in the Lucknow bench of the high court yesterday, pleading that the consent of the father should be taken before termination of pregnancy by the mother under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971.

Nandi, who got married in November 2004, challenged certain sections of the act, which empowers the wife to go for abortion if she is not medically fit to deliver the baby.

Nandi said the concept of fatherhood was similar to the concept of motherhood and the consent of the father must also be made mandatory.

?The moment a woman conceives, the right of the father begins,? he argued, adding that it would amount to violation of Article 21 (right to life and liberty) of the Constitution if the wife went ahead with the abortion.

The petitioner has sought a directive from the court to the state and the Centre to instruct all hospitals within their limits not to permit termination of pregnancy by his wife.

The petition is likely to come up for hearing tomorrow.