APCC hits out at CM Sarma over marriage bill remark; claims there’s already a law

Age-old Section 415 of Indian Penal Code that defines cheating and that Section 420 in the Indian Penal Code deals with punishment for cheating, dishonesty & deceiving: APCC

Time8 Desk
July 12, 2021
7:54 pm

Guwahati: Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Monday hits out at Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over his remark on bringing a Law against Cheating to Marry to be “Equal for Hindus and Muslims”.

In a press statement, the APCC questioned the chief minister on whether he is aware that there is already a law against cheating and deceiving?

“It is surprising that a CM would not know about the age-old Section 415 of Indian Penal Code that defines cheating and that Section 420 in the Indian Penal Code deals with punishment for cheating, dishonesty & deceiving. This law is applicable to anybody who is a cheater or who is a deceiver irrespective of whether one is a Hindu or a Muslim. In the eyes of our Indian legal system, everybody is equal and nobody can be above law. Our Legal System already has provisions to protect its citizens whether they are men or women irrespective of religion,” the press statement reads.

The APCC also alleged that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s comments are politically motivated to divert the attention of the people from more pressing issues of spiralling petrol, diesel price and increasing prices of essential commodities that are making life extremely hard for the common people.

“When we already have an existing law for any such situation of ‘cheating’ or ‘deceiving’ we don’t understand where is the need to enact another law for ‘cheating’ or deceiving? Unless the CM is again politically motivated to divert the attention of the people from more pressing issues of spiralling petrol, diesel price and increasing prices of essential commodities that are making life extremely hard for the common people. We think his comments are just an attempt to keep people engaged in debates & discussions in social media and in TV debates so that real issues do not get highlighted,” the statement added.

Earlier, on Saturday, CM Sarma, told the media here in Guwahati, “If a man from the Hindu community deceives a Hindu girl for marriage is also a kind of ‘jihad’. Though, I don’t believe in words like ‘Jihad’, my point is any person irrespective of whether one is a Hindu or a Muslim shall be punished for cheating or deceiving a girl for marriage.”