Recently, Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chauhan said the minimum marriageable age of women will be increased from 18 to 21. He added that a new system will be introduced wherein any woman moving out of her house for work can register herself at the local police station, and she will be tracked for her safety.
Responding to this new development, MLA Sajjan Singh Verma stated that girls are able to reproduce by the age of 15 and questioned the minimum marriageable age of a girl should be increased to 21, reports News18.
“Girls are ready for bearing children by the age of 15-17 years and there was no need to raise the legal age for marriage to 21. Is Shivraj a doctor or a scientist? What is the logic behind this?” he said.
What the video here:
#WATCH | According to doctors, a girl is ready for reproduction by the age of 15. Is the CM a doctor or a scientist? So, on what basis does girls' marriage age should be increased to 21 from 18: Congress leader Sajjan Singh Verma in Bhopal pic.twitter.com/sVF1UyeLra
— ANI (@ANI) January 13, 2021
His statement received massive backlash online wherein people slammed him for reducing women to “baby-making machines”.
In India women are just baby making machines
— پربھا (@deepsealioness) January 13, 2021
Seems like the only job, according to this self proclaimed leader, girls have after marriage is to become pregnant and deliver babies…!!
— Dhoni forever ❣️ (@zindagijhandbaa) January 13, 2021
would i be wrong to call someone who says” a girl is ready for reproduction by the age of 15″ as a pedophile?
— Niva 🦋🇮🇳🇬🇧 (@jailnahijanahai) January 13, 2021
I tell you why marriage age should be 21. A girl has to be mentally ready for such big responsibility. She has right to study, she has right to have a career. Most importantly she should be the one who decide when to marry.
shame on your mentality #SajjanSinghVerma https://t.co/utQ4Ozf1ds— VC (@vandana030) January 14, 2021
If I were a CM, I would have declared 28 yrs minimum for girls. https://t.co/q4E9Pq7NZz
— Dolly🌸 (@belikedolly) January 13, 2021
Because what must women do, but make babies! https://t.co/acgmF6lzW4
— Poulomi Saha (@PoulomiMSaha) January 13, 2021
According to Times Now, the National Commission For Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has sent a notice to Sajjan Singh for his “discriminatory” statement against minor girls.
“The commission is deeply concerned with such statements made on public platforms which would harm and violate the rights of the children,” the notice read.
It also stated that his remark violates Section 505 of the Indian Penal Code and the Juvenile Justice Act.
Even if the female body is able to reproduce at such a young age, in no way does it justify her being married off or for her to have a child.
What do you think of this issue? Tell us.