Congress govt in Rajasthan passes bill to register child marriages; BJP stages a walkout

Amid strong resistance from the Opposition, the Rajasthan Assembly on Friday passed the 'Compulsory Registration of Marriages Amendment bill of Rajasthan'. With the passing of the aforementioned bill, the registration of child marriages in the state will now be allowed. 

The bill states that if the girl's age at the time of the wedding is less than 18 years and the boy's age is less than 21, the parents will have to inform the registration officer within 30 days. Based on the information, the process for registration will be initiated by the concerned authority. 

Ruckus in Rajasthan Assembly

During the Parliament proceeding, the main Opposition in the assembly - BJP, raised a rather pertinent question, "What are the need for registration and the purpose of the bill when child marriage would remain illegal". 

The Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government replied with the claim that the proposed legislation allows registration of marriages, but does not state anywhere that such weddings will eventually become valid.

"If it is indeed a child marriage, the collector of the particular district and the officers concerned will be able to take necessary action against the families, Parliamentary Affairs Minister in the government, Shanti Dhariwal pointed out.

Not convinced with the reasoning of the ruling Congress, the BJP demanded a division of votes, which was rejected by the House. Miffed at this, the BJP trooped into the well of the House shouting slogans, before finally staging a walkout. The bill was passed after this, following a voice vote.

What is the Compulsory Registration of Marriages Amendment bill of Rajasthan?

The Compulsory Registration of Marriages Amendment bill of Rajasthan entitles the parents of underage couples to get their marriage registered. The parents of the couple will inform the registration officer by handing a memorandum in the prescribed format. Based on this, the registration officer will register that child marriage. The marriage registration officer will do the registration up to the block level.