India's apex child right's body National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on Saturday said it would examine the amendments passed by the Rajasthan Assembly in an act on mandatory registration of marriages, including child marriages and do the needful to protect the interest of children.
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 compulsory registration of marriages within 30 days of the marriage. The new legislation, opposition BJP has claimed will legitimise child marriages.
Talking to ANI, NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo said that being the custodian of the rights of the children in India, it is NCRCP's mandatory obligation to look that no child rights are not being violated.
"Through media reports, we have received news of Rajasthan assembly passing a new bill that speaks of child victimisation and commission stands against it. We are knowing studying the legal aspect and will initiate action as per the advice of our legal experts," he said.
NCPCR is the official custodian of juveniles through the Child Marriage Act, Juvenile justice act and POSCO Act.
"If child rights violation is happening in contradictory to the Child Marriage Act, Juvenile justice act and POSCO Act, we will go to court to stop its implementation," Kanoongo said.
"The state government should be sensitive toward the children and NCPCR requests the lawmakers of Rajasthan to rethink," she added.
The bill passed on Friday was rigorously slammed by the opposition too. The bill that has brought child marriage under its ambit states that the marriage between the bridegroom who has not completed 21 years and the bride who has not completed 18 years of age could be registered by the parents or guardians within the 30 days of the marriage, said the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Shanti Kumar Dhariwal in the assembly.
According to the new bill, the bride and groom can apply for registration of marriage to the marriage registration officer of the place where they have been residing for more than 30 days.
( With inputs from ANI )
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