New Delhi: Days after Uttar Pradesh brought ordinance on Love Jihad in the state, the Assam government on Monday said that it is also working on a new marriage law that will make it mandatory for both the bride and the groom to disclose their religion and source of income among other things. The decision from the state government has come to light in the backdrop of several BJP-ruled states announcing laws to tackle incidents of ‘Love Jihad’.
Giving further details, Assam Finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the state government’s new marriage will not resemble the one being implemented in Uttar Pradesh or Madhya Pradesh. He further added that the law will basically empower women.
Talking about the new law, the minister said that one should not enter into a married life if there is no transparency between the husband and wife. However, it is important to disclose – what is my religion, what I do, how much do I earn, he added.
“I am not saying that you should only disclose your religion. I think you should also disclose your income, members of your family, what is your business. Because many times, the girl enters into marriage even if they are from the same religion and later on, the girl realizes that her husband is doing some wrong business,” the minister added.
However, he said that the idea is that, not Love Jihad but one should not hide their identity, including religion, business or income. “It is a matter of bringing transparency in the institution of marriage,” he added.
Saying that these details will have to be disclosed one month before the wedding, he said Assam is going to do something which will not be against any religion.
Assam on Sunday reported one more fatality due to COVID-19, taking the death toll to 981. The coronavirus tally in the state rose to 2,12,617 with 134 fresh cases.
The current death rate in the state has been constant at 0.46 per cent during the month, which included five days when no fatalities were reported.