Assam cabinet minister Pijush Hazarika on Saturday responded to All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Waris Pathan’s ‘anti-Muslim’ remark on the state cabinet’s decision to repeal the Muslim Marriage Act.
Taking to X, Hazrika asked, “How does repealing a 89 year old law that permits the marriage between a small girl and an adult male become anti Muslim?”
This comes after the Assam cabinet decided to repeal the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Registration Act, 1935 on Friday (February 23). Commenting on it, the AIMIM leader leveled allegations against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government calling it ‘anti-Muslim’. He said that the BJP is looking to polarize the votes ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
In a response on X, the Assam cabinet minister for water resources, information and public relations, and social justice, Pijush Hazarika said that Muslim leaders need to act maturely.
He wrote, “How does repealing a 89 year old law that permits the marriage between a small girl and an adult male become anti Muslim? Muslim leaders need to act maturely and stand alongside the interest of our daughters rather than standing for abhorrent social evils.”
Earlier, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) leader Rafiqul Islam had targeted the state government on Saturday terming the decision a “tactic to target Muslims”.
He was quoted by ANI as saying that the Assam government under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma does not have the “courage” to bring the Uniform Civil Code, and hence it is repealing the Marriage Act.
“This Government doesn't have the courage to bring UCC. They can't do it. What they brought in Uttarakhand, is not UCC either...They were trying to bring UCC to Assam too. But I think they can't bring it to Assam because there are people from several castes and communities here...BJP followers themselves follow those practices here...Elections are approaching, this is just their tactics to target Muslims,” he said.
Taking another step towards rooting out child marriages from the state, the Assam cabinet had on Friday reached a consensus on repealing the Assam Muslim Marriage Act. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma wrote on X saying that the move marks another significant step towards eradicating child marriages in Assam.
