Now registration of child marriages can be done in Rajasthan. The state assembly has passed an amendment for this in the Rajasthan compulsory registration of marriages (amendment) bill with a voice vote on Friday. The opposition BJP staged a walkout to oppose the bill.
Section 8 of the amended bill provides that if the parties of the marriage have not completed the age of marriage, the parents and guardians shall be responsible to submit a memorandum within a prescribed period.
The legislators of opposition termed it as 'Black bill' and said that to register a child marriage is an act to give legal section to the child marriage which is a violation of the Sharda Act. The opposition demanded a division of voting on the bill which was denied by the chair.
While the parliamentary affairs minister Shanti Dhariwal said that Supreme Court had given directions to register all marriages and registration should not be considered as a legal section of child marriage as the district collector will have the power to take action on such marriages. He said that it is not in contradiction with the central act.