Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma pledged on February 26 that he will not allow child marriages in Assam as long as he is alive. He also challenged his political opponents, saying, “I would like to challenge you politically, I will shut down this shop before 2026.”
“Hear me carefully, as long as I am alive, I will not let child marriage take place in Assam. I will not let this happen as long as Himanta Biswa Sarma is alive…I would like to challenge you politically, I will shut down this shop before 2026,” he said.
As long as I am alive I will not let child marriage take place in Assam
I will not let this happen as long as Himanta Biswa Sarma is alive
I will shut down this shop before 2026
: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma in the Assembly pic.twitter.com/k4KIXiHufb
— Organiser Weekly (@eOrganiser) February 26, 2024
The Assam CM said this during his assembly address. The State Cabinet on February 23 approved the Assam Repealing Ordinance, 2024, for repealing the British-era Marriage and Divorce Act specific to Muslims.
After the repeal of the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act 1935, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on February 25 said that the Muslim women of the State will get relief from “torture and exploitation,” adding that the act will also help to end child marriage.
Addressing the media in Nagaon, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said that his Government will launch another drive against child marriage in the State after the Lok Sabha election.
“The torture, and exploitation that has been going on against Muslim mothers for so long will be ended with this bill. The Prime Minister ended triple talaq. But in Assam only because of this act, a Kazi would not have been faulted if he had registered the marriage of a below 18-year-old girl and he had gotten bail from the court. Now to give talaq will not be easy after the repeal of this act and there will no no registration of marriage below 18 years old girl,” Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
Talking about child marriage, the Assam Chief Minister said that many people were arrested who did child marriage, and some of them got imprisonment of 10-15 years.
“After the Lok Sabha election, one more drive against child marriage will be conducted in Assam. I will completely end the issue before 2026,” the Assam Chief Minister said.
AIMIM and other parties have criticised the Assam CM for repealing the Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act.
AIMIM chief and MP Asaduddin Owaisi said, “Now, the BJP people have come, saying that they will bring reforms in Islam. No, you don’t want to bring reforms. You want to implement Hindutva. What is India’s culture? India is a country where people follow several religions and some people are atheists. Thousands of languages are spoken here, not just one.”
(with inputs from ANI)
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