Amend Hindu Marriage Act,demand Khaps

A Maha Khap Panchayat,claiming representation of 36 khap panchayats spread across Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh,Rajasthan and Delhi...

A Maha Khap Panchayat,claiming representation of 36 khap panchayats spread across Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh,Rajasthan and Delhi,on Tuesday struck a defiant note and resolved to fight in favour of those sentenced to death for killing a couple who had married in the same gotra (sub-caste).

Denying that any diktat was issued for killing Manoj and Babli,the Mahapanchayat decided to take up the case of the convicts in the murder case by collecting Rs 10 from each family in Haryana and hiring senior lawyers as part of their action plan. They would also organise agitations and road blocks to disrupt traffic. On Tuesday,too,the Kurukshetra-Kaithal highway was blocked for some time to mark their protest.

The Mahapanchayat,which was convened in the wake of a landmark verdict by a Karnal court a fortnight ago,which had sentenced five accused in the murder case to death and one to life imprisonment,demanded an amendment to the Hindu Marriage Act to ban marriages in the same sub-castes. It said the Haryana government should support the Khap Panchayats in this regard,failing which they would gherao Parliament as well Haryana Assembly.

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A resolution was also passed to demand that court marriages and marriages in temple should be considered valid only if these are performed in the presence of parents of the bride as well as the bridegroom and their signature must be made compulsory while issuing a marriage certificate.

Announcing the constitution of a 51-member committee under the chairmanship of Jat Sabha president Ranjeet Singh,the Maha Khap Panchayat said khap panchayats should be given the status of Lok Adalats. It also recommended the constitution of Sarv Jati Khap to solve the problems of members of all communities in Haryana.

All India Kisan Union president Mahender Singh Tikait,ex-DGP of Haryana M S Malik,Haryana Gaushala president Acharya Baldev,Jat Sabha general secretary Yudhvir Singh,Benewal Khap Panchayat Bhaley Ram,BJP leader Om Prakash Dhankar representing Dhankar gotra,Ex-MLA Bharat Singh Benewal of Benewal gotra,Santosh Singh of Dahia gotra,and Jasbir Malik of Malik Khap were among those who participated in the meeting.

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