Don’t Congress, AIUDF MLAs feel the pain of a 6-year being impregnated: Himanta Sarma

Those who commit the offence of child marriage shall be punished with a jail term which could extend up to two years.

"Don't you feel the pain when a 11-year Muslim girl gets impregnated," Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma asked while hitting out at the Opposition.

He was replying to a question by the Opposition on his government's crackdown on child marriage in Assam.

When a 11-year old Muslim girl gets pregnant, does not it not pain the Congress or AIUDF MLAs, Sarma asked. Shouldn't the man who destroyed the life of that young girl not be punished, the Assam CM also asked.

" I thought I will be appreciated by the Opposition, but rather they have stood with those who have violated the law by performing child marriage. All who indulged in child marriage are criminals in the eyes of the law. Sadly the Opposition MLAs are standing with those criminals," Sarma also said.

He also reminded that it was the Congress government which had formulated the act and his government is implementing it.

He reiterated that his government is committed to stopping child marriage in the state. "Either depose me from power or the crackdown against child marriage will continue," Sarma said.

He went on to state that there is no third option. Every six months there shall be a huge crackdown against child marriage in Assam. Those who have committed this crime will be behind bars, he said.

"Child marriage has to be stopped in Assam before 2026. The bulldozer of democracy will run over those criminals," CM Sarma added.

Giving statistics about the total number of cases, Sarma said that in all 4,760 cases have been registered against 7,142 accused.

"3,483 persons have been arrested which 1,182 are in jail. 2,253 have been granted bail, and notices have been issued to 48 others," Sarma informed the assembly.

"Between April 2021 and February 2023, there have been 4,111 instances of child marriage, Sarma said.

Acceding to Assam DGP, G P Singh, the police had filed 800 chargesheets in court, and instructions were given to file a maximum number of chargesheets by April this year.

Punishable offence:

Whoever performs, conducts, directs or abets any marriage shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment, which may extend up to two years and shall be liable for fine which may extend to Rs 1 lakh, unless he is able to prove that he had reasons to believe that the marriage was not a child marriage.

Child marriage laws are governed under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act of 2006.