Doomdooma: Raijor Dal president and Sivasagar MLA said the Assam government’s anti-child marriage drive is ‘illegal’ and called chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma a modern-day Tughlaq for his actions.
“Raijor Dal is totally against child marriage,” said Gogoi in a press meeting. “Many problems arise due to child marriage. But in the name of the prevention of child marriage, Hitler rule of the government is not acceptable by any means. This is an attack on Muslims,” he added.
Calling the CM an incarnation of Mohammed Bin Tughlaq, Gogoi further said, “Whatever the chief minister sees in a dream at night, he imposes on the public in the morning. In his rule, he has done many illegal things and this drive against child marriage is the latest.”
Gogoi pointed out that in cases of child marriage, the FIR is acceptable only within two years of the marriage.
But in Assam, he said, the police are arresting those who have married 3-4 or 5-7 years before. According to the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, there is no bail for those who commit this social crime. “In several districts, the accused are getting bail in a day and coming out. It proves that the government is continuing this drive illegally so that child marriage accused are getting bail,” Gogoi said.
Gogoi said according to Section 16 of The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, a child marriage prohibition officer should be present at the spot, but such arrangements were not seen. He also pointed out that the government was not conducting awareness drives in the state.
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He alleged that such a drive was only for ‘glamour.’
The Assam government’s anti-child marriage drive has seen over 4,000 people jailed and several people hitting the streets to express their anger against such actions.
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