Assam to abolish law that allowed underage Muslim marriages
The Assam Cabinet has given its approval for a bill aimed at repealing the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorce Registration Act and Rules of 1935, which allowed underage marriages under certain conditions. The announcement was made by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday. "We have taken a significant step to ensure justice for our daughters and sisters by putting additional safeguards against child marriage," Sarma stated on social media after leading the Council of Ministers meeting.
Repealing Bill 2024 to be presented in Monsoon Session
The Repealing Bill 2024, which is set to abolish the Act, will be presented during the upcoming monsoon session of the assembly. The Cabinet had initially approved the decision to repeal this Act on February 23, as part of an effort to end child marriage in Assam. "This Act contained provisions allowing marriage registration even if the bride and groom had not reached the legal ages of 18 and 21, as required by law," Sarma explained.
Opposition parties criticize move as discriminatory
The decision to repeal the act has been met with criticism from opposition parties, who have labeled it discriminatory against Muslims. Congress MLA Abdul Rashid Mandal claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government is absolutely "anti-Muslim government and is trying to show the Hindu people that the government is favoring them and depriving the Muslims." All India United Democratic Front legislator Rafikul Islam (AIUDF) said the decision was taken with the ''intention of targeting Muslims in an election year."
Assam Cabinet approves key healthcare initiatives
In other decisions from Thursday's Cabinet meeting, Sarma announced a reduction in VAT on CNG from 14.5% to 5%, effective until March 31, 2027. The meeting also approved financial sanctions for key healthcare initiatives, including ₹200 crore for the Assam Cancer Care Foundation and ₹375 crore for the Mukhya Mantri Ayushman Asom Yojana (MMAAY) for 2024-25. Additionally, ₹401.50 crore was released to the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) as the first installment for fiscal 2024-45 under the SOPD-G fund.
