The government has launched a vigorous campaign against child marriage in Assam. A large number of people have been arrested. Meanwhile, questions began to arise that the state government had started harassing Muslims over allegations of child marriage. Most of the arrests are being made of Muslims. Now Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has replied on this.
He said on Wednesday that during the ongoing campaign of the state government against child marriage in the state, action is being taken ignoring the religion. Sarma also presented the figure. Told that the proportion of arrests of Muslims and Hindus till the action of 3rd February is almost equal.
Responding to a question asked in the Assembly, the Assam Chief Minister said, “I have also picked up some of my people as the opposition members will feel bad.” The ratio of arrests of Muslims and Hindus since the February 3 crackdown is 55:45.
Targeting the opposition, Sarma said that these people cry for criminals, but not for an 11-year-old girl who becomes a mother at an early age. He further said, “Data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) show that most cases of child marriage are reported from Dhubri and South Salmara (Muslim-majority districts) and not from Dibrugarh and Tinsukia, but because you They make everything communal, so I called Dibrugarh SP and said that action should be taken if such cases are found there too.
The Chief Minister said that the Assam government is planning to bring a new law against child marriage in the state and the campaign against child marriage will continue. “Our stand is clear that child marriage should be stopped in Assam. We are discussing bringing a new act against child marriage. We are trying to bring a new act against child marriage by 2026, where we are considering increasing the jail term from two years to 10 years.
attempt to raise the age of marriage
The Chief Minister said, ‘The roller of democracy will continue against the criminals who marry the girl child. The rule of law against child marriage will continue. The Population Control Act was passed during the Congress rule and our government is now trying to increase the age of marriage from 18 years to 21 years. It is the responsibility of this House to speak against child marriage.
He further said, criminals will be arrested every six months, child marriage has to be stopped in Assam. The people of the state will have two options, either remove me from here or stop child marriage, there is no third option.
