The last day of the Budget Session of the Assam Assembly witnessed a high-voltage drama with the Opposition MLAs protesting against the repeal of the Marriage & Divorce Registration Act and the ruling legislators vehemently countering them. “As long as I am alive, I will not let child marriage take place in the state,” Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
MLAs of Congress and AIUDF criticised the state government’s decision and opposed it strongly. Responding to the Opposition, CM Sarma became emotional in the Assembly and firmly stated, “Mark it carefully, as long as I am alive I will not let child marriage take place in Assam. As long as Himanta Biswa Sarma is alive this will not happen. I would like to challenge you politically; I will shut down this shop before 2026.”
“I will stop the practice of marrying minor girls of the Muslim community,” he added.
Later, taking to microblogging site X, CM Sarma wrote, “I want to make it loud and clear, till the time I am there, I will not allow you to play with the future of innocent Muslim children. I will bring an end to this exploitative business and will not allow a single child marriage to take place in Assam.”
I want to make it loud and clear, till the time I am there, I will not allow you to play with the future of innocent Muslim children.I will bring an end to this exploitative business and will not allow a single child marriage to take place in Assam: HCM Dr @himantabiswa pic.twitter.com/wTVFuXrz4u
— Chief Minister Assam (@CMOfficeAssam) February 26, 2024
Prior to this, in the morning, AIUDF MLAs staged a Protest in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue at the Assam Assembly against the state cabinet’s decision to repeal the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act.
AIUDF MLA raised an adjournment proposal to have a detailed discussion on the issue, which was promptly denied by the state Assembly Speaker, following which, the Opposition started shouting anti-government slogans inside the house.
Later, the Speaker interfered and asked CM Sarma to speak on the matter. Speaking on the cabinet’s decision, the Assam CM said, “By 2026 will close all these ‘shops’ (KAAZI system).”
Following CM Sarma’s speech, Congress MLAs left the house and AIUDF started protesting against the decision. Opposition MLAs alleged that the government is not allowing them to even speak in the Assembly and that their microphones were “forcibly switched off”.
With inputs from News18