Child rights activists may not think much of Rakhi Sawant’s maternal instincts, but Shilpa Budhiraja, mother of the 10-month-old baby Rakhi ‘borrowed’ for reality show Pati, Patni Aur Woh, isn’t complaining.

Calling it an ‘ intriguing social experiment’, Shilpa said there was no need to pull the reality show off air. “This experiment will give the engaged couples an idea of what is in store. It will benefit the couple as well as the society. We knew what we were getting into and were happy with the way our child was handled during the shoot,” said Shilpa, Delhi-based housewife. The Budhiraja family returned to the Capital in August after a month-long shoot.

Producers of the show maintain they will take ‘all possible measures to keep the show on air’ after the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and the Women and Child Development Ministry (WCD) issued notice to the channel and wrote to the I&B Ministry, demanding that the telecast be stopped immediately.

“We have received a notice but we will do everything possible to keep the show on air. The child rights activists should have spoken to parents and producers before jumping to any conclusion. BBC has produced this show worldwide and they are very conscious of their responsibilities. All parents are educated, young professionals who gave us informed consent. We had nurses and ambulances in the premises and parents were constantly watching the proceedings on CCTV,” said Shailaja Kejriwal, creative content head and Vice-President, NDTV Imagine.