Leader of opposition in the state assembly Ajay Singh has written to BJP president Nitin Gadkari and Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chauhan seeking the removal of state BJP president Prabhat Jha for “participating” in the marriage of a minor girl.
The leader of opposition has accused Mr. Jha, along with minister of state for tribal welfare Harishankar Khatik, of participating in the marriage of a minor to an already married man.
Mr. Singh has sought the removal of both along with registration of criminal cases against them for “abetting and participating in the illegal marriage”, which took place in the Taparian village of Tikamgarh district in the backward Bundelkhand region on April 25.
“The CM had publicly resolved not to allow marriages of minors and had delegated the responsibility to ensure this at the ground level to his ministers but both Jha and Khatik participated in this criminal act and married off a girl who is not even 16 to an already married man,” said Mr. Singh.
He further alleged that the marriage was solemnised in the presence of officials of the district administration who did nothing to stop the two BJP leaders.
Mr. Singh circulated in the press, the girl's age certificate, the wedding invite bearing the names of Mr. Jha and Mr. Khatik and the groom Ramesh's wedding invite from his marriage to another woman on May 6 last year.
