CPI-M lambasts IUML over marriage for minor girls

Thiruvananthapuram, Sept 23: The Communist Party of India-Marxist Monday flayed the move by Muslim organisations in the state to appeal to the Supreme Court to allow minor Muslim girls to marry.

The Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party and the Communist Party of India had Sunday slammed the decision of the Muslim organisations to approach the Supreme Court with a plea to allow marriage of minor Muslim girls.

The leaders of the nine organisations met in Kozhikode Friday, and nominated K. Bapu Musaliyar as the chairman and Indian Union Muslim League leader C.P. Mayin Haji as the convenor of a newly-formed samiti (collective) to approach the apex court.

Addressing reporters here Monday, CPI-M state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan put the blame for the whole issue on the Indian Union Muslim League (a party in coalition with the ruling Congress in the state) for this move.

"The IUML is expecting to ride on (the wave of) communal consolidation through this, and it is nothing but a political move ahead of the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls," Vijayan said.

Leader of opposition in the state assembly V.S. Achuthanandan lambasted the IUML, saying he found it disgusting and could not bring himself to even speak of the matter, for the demand was that the age for being legally married be lowered from the present 18 years not just to 16, but to 14.

"It is better not to speak of their culture," Achuthanandan said.

IANS