Jaipur: Amid uproar, the Rajasthan Assembly on Friday passed the Rajasthan Compulsory Registration of Marriages (Amendment) Bill, 2021 by voice vote to amend a 2009 Act on mandatory registration of marriages within 30 days of the union.
The new legislation, opposition BJP has claimed, will legitimise child marriages.
According to the new bill, the bride and groom can apply for registration to the wedding registration officer of where they need been residing for quite 30 days.
The bill has brought child marriage under its ambit, stating that a wedding between a bridegroom who has not completed 21 years and a bride who has not completed 18 years aged might be registered by the oldsters or guardians within 30 days of the wedding , said the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Shanti Kumar Dhariwal within the Assembly.
After BJP leaders at the Assembly vigorously opposed the bill and questioned the supply of the registration of kid marriages under the bill, Mr Dhariwal said, “The bill doesn’t say that child marriage is valid. The bill says that after marriage, only registration is important . It doesn’t imply that child marriage is valid. If the District Collector wants, he or she will still take action against the kid marriages.”
“This amendment isn’t in contradiction to the central law. The Supreme Court has also ruled that there should be compulsory registration of marriages. Hence the bill includes child marriages,” he said.
During the talk , BJP leader and Leader of Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria said, “I think this law is totally wrong. The legislators who have passed it haven’t seen it. Section 8 of the bill violates this law effective against child marriages.”
“Today, the bulk of the people accept as true with this law and have mentally prepared themselves. they supply education to their students but they dislike the concept of kid marriages. But if you justify child marriages like this, then it’ll create a wrong impression for the people. The Rajasthan Vidhan Sabha are going to be defamed,” Member of legislature Sanyam Lodha said.
“I am surprised that (this happened) in Rajasthan, where child marriages are considered a regressive custom, and where, in 1927, the Sharda Act (Child Marriage Restraint Act) came into existence in Rajasthan. it had been gone by Harvilas Sharda and it had been replaced by the Prohibition of kid Marriage Act, 2006, (but) today the numbers prove that Rajasthan remains within the hold of this regressive custom,” said Deputy Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathod within the Rajasthan legislature .
Highlighting the supply of the bill, Mr Dhariwal said that now registration are often done at the extent of District Marriage Registration Officer also as Additional District Marriage Registration Officer and Block Marriage Registration Officer level.
“These officers are going to be ready to monitor and review the work of registration. this may make it easier for the overall public to register. this may bring simplicity and transparency to the work,” said Mr Dhariwal.
The Parliamentary Affairs Minister added that the wedding registration certificate may be a legal instrument . Without this, widows are unable to urge the advantages of the many schemes.
Now with the compulsory registration, albeit either party or both parties within the marriage, the relations are going to be ready to apply for marriage registration and obtain the certificate, stated Mr Dhariwal.
Earlier, the House rejected the motion of the members to publicize the bill by voice vote.The Rajasthan Assembly also witnessed a walkout by the opposition in protest against the bill.