The Assam Cabinet on Thursday approved a Bill to repeal the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorce Registration Act and Rules of 1935, which permitted underage marriages under specific conditions, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
The Repealing Bill 2024 is likely to be presented during the upcoming monsoon session of the Assembly.
Earlier this year, the Cabinet approved the abolition of the Act, and Thursday’s meeting authorised the Repealing Bill required to implement this decision.
“We have taken a significant step to ensure justice for our daughters and sisters by putting additional safeguards against child marriage,” he posted on X, soon after chairing the meeting of Council of Ministers here.
“In the meeting of the #AssamCabinet today we have decided to repeal the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorce Registration Act and Rules 1935 vide the Assam Repealing Bill 2024,” he added.
The CM said the decision to repeal it is aimed in bringing “parity in registration of marriage and divorce”.
The Repealing Bill will be placed before the Assembly in the next Monsoon session for consideration, he said.
“The State Cabinet has also been directed that a suitable legislation be brought for registration of Muslim marriages in Assam, to be considered by the next session of Assembly,” the CM added.
The Cabinet had approved the decision to repeal the Act on February 23, in a bid to end the social menace of child marriage in the state.
“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. This move marks another significant step towards prohibiting child marriages in Assam,” Sarma had posted on X then.
Opposition parties had decried the decision, terming it ‘discriminatory against the Muslims’ brought in to polarise the voters in an election year.
Congress MLA Abdul Rashid Mandal had claimed that the BJP government in the state is absolutely ”anti-Muslim government and are trying to show the Hindu people that the government is favouring them and depriving the Muslims”.
AIUDF legislator Rafikul Islam said the decision taken by the cabinet has been done with the ”intention of targeting the Muslims in an election year”.
