UP cabinet approves marriage registration, including for Muslims

The Uttar Pradesh cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Tuesday approved a proposal for mandatory registration of all marriages, including those in the Muslim community.

Health Minister and government spokesman Siddharth Nath Singh, while briefing the media about the cabinet decisions, informed that Muslims will have also have to get their second, third and fourth marriages registered under the new provisions. The motive behind the move, he said, was to protect the interests of women, cutting across caste and community lines.

So far the central government rule in this regard had been implemented across the country except in Uttar Pradesh and Nagaland but with Tuesday's decision by the cabinet, it will be implemented in UP now, he said, adding that the Women and Child Welfare Department has been assigned the task while the Stamp and Registration Department will get this executed.

There will be a facility of an online portal for marriage registration and pictures of both husband and wife will posted on the registration, he said, adding a government order will be issued in this regard soon, providing further details.

Singh noted that the decision had been taken after due discussions with every community and the objection of Muslims to putting pictures of the newly-wed women on the registration form were dismissed on the grounds that that this practice is followed elsewhere in government procedures like passport, voter ID card and Aadhaar.

The earlier Samajwadi Party government had initiated a move to implement this but backtracked due to stiff opposition.

--IANS

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