Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar has clarified that his statement that "a lot of modern women in India want to stay single; even if they get married, they don't want to give birth; they want surrogacy" did not intend to infringe upon or thrust anything on women or single them out.

"I am the proud father of a daughter," Sudhakar said, maintaining that his observations were based on research findings. Sudhakar had made the remarks while addressing a World Mental Health Day event at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS).