Women marriage bill: Waqf board to convene meeting with Qazis

Hyderabad: The Chairman of the Telangana Waqf Board Mohammed Saleem called a meeting of State’s Qaziz on January 4 to apprise them of the guidelines with regard to women’s marriages.

This meeting is being called in the wake of the Central government’s proposed draft bill to increase the marriage age of women from 18 to 21 years.

Speaking to the media persons, Mohammad Saleem said that the Parliament has not given assent to the bill for women’s marriage age but still there are apprehensions among the people.

To escape the proposed law, parents are performing the marriages of their daughters and postponing their departure date. He advised the Qaziz to assure the parents not to panic. They may continue to marry off their daughters under the current law of 18 years.

Mohammed Saleem advised Qazis to guide the people and told them not to panic.

Currently, there is a sharp spurt in marriages taking place due to the fear of the proposed draft bill. Mohammed Saleem told the Muslim community not to worry as the TRS will not support the bill in Parliament.

Saleem also appealed to the Prime Minister not to tinker with the marriage age for the women as the issue is related to all the communities. Every community prefers to marry off their daughters on time.

Mohammad Saleem said that in the meeting of the representative of Qazi organizations necessary guidelines regarding the girls’ marriages shall be issued. “There is no need to be apprehensive as the bill has not been approved in any house of the Parliament. The Chief Minister of Telangana K Chandrasekhar Rao will not support this bill,” Mohammed Saleem said.