K'taka Cong women's wing seeks constitutional amendments

Udupi, Mar 8 (UNI) The Karnataka Pradesh Mahila Congress Committee will take a delegation to Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to urge them to bring in Constitutional amendments to the Dowry Prohibition Act, Hindu Marriage Act and Evidence Act, its General Secretary Shamala Bhandary said today.

Addressing a press conference here, she said the decision was taken in view of court verdicts ''against the interests of women'' in several dowry related cases.

Ms Bhandary underlined the urgent need for sutiable amendment to the Hindu Marriage Act, making it applicable to all sections of the Hindu society. Citing the recent ruling of a lower court in Puttur in Dakshina Kannada district, she said the court had ruled that the Act was not applicable to Scheduled Castes and hence a SC person could have more than one wife.

Expressing deep concern over the increasing number of foeticide cases in the country, she said the Government should take strict measures to arrest this alarming trend. The women folk should also unite to fight against the menace, she added.

UNI