Move to raise girl’s marriage age causing pain to some: PM

Move to raise girl’s marriage age causing pain to some: PM

‘UP Women Were Biggest Sufferers Of Lawlessness Under SP’

Rajeev.Mani@timesgroup.com

Prayagraj:  22.12.2021

“Everybody is seeing who is having problem with the move to raise the marriage age of girls from 18 to 21,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, taking a swipe at the opposition parties at an event at Prayagraj for women empowerment on Tuesday.

“We are trying to increase the age of marriage of girls to 21 years, so that they can have time to study and progress. The country is taking this decision for its daughters. Everyone is seeing who is having problems with this,” he said, adding that “women are happy with the government’s decision”.

Samajwadi Party MPs Shafiqur Rehman Barq and ST Hasan have recently made adverse comments on the Centre’s move to increase the legal age of girls’ marriage though party president Akhilesh Yadav distanced himself from their statements.

“Prayagraj has been an iconic city to show the strength of women empowerment. Now, it is witness to a Kumbh of empowered women who have turned up at this event,” he said at the well-attended event.

Lauding the state government on the law and order front, especially the steps taken for women’s security, Modi said that five years back, roads of UP had mafiaraj and criminals held sway in the government.

“The women of UP were the biggest sufferers of this state of affairs. However, the government of Yogi Adityanath has sent these criminals to their rightful place (jails),” the PM said.

“Out of the 30 lakh houses constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (PMAY) in the state, 25 lakh have been registered in the name of women beneficiaries,” he said.

“In families where there was no property in the name of women for generations, they now have a house in their name. This is true women empowerment. In the village ‘swamitva scheme’ is underway in which property papers were given to house owners and women are being given priority,” he said.

“This is our bid to provide equal rights to women just the way we did through schemes like Ujjwala and Swachh Bharat to construct toilets,” the PM said, highlighting the measures of the Centre and UP governments like triple talaq law, Kanya Sumangla Yojana and crackdown on criminals to help women. The PM transferred ₹Rs 1,000 crore to bank accounts of self-help groups (SHGs) to benefit around 16 lakh women.