Rajasthan: Now, a BJP leader says she will support child marriage

With the BJP in power, there has been a rise of regressive forces around the country and especially in Rajasthan. Now, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate has gone as far as to say that she will support child marriages. Shobha Chauhan has promised not to intervene in child marriages, if voted to power.

Shobha Chauhan, who is a BJP candidate from Sojat in Pali district promised people that police will not interfere in child marriages if she wins. Sojat is a reserved assembly seat.

Shobha Chauhan, wife of IAS officer Rajesh Chauhan, is contesting the assembly election for the second time. Chauhan was addressing a gathering at a Sneh Sammelan at the Peepaliya Kala region in Sojat area.

During the course of the event, it was mentioned to Chauhan that members of the Dewasi community held child marriages, during which they faced interference by police.

A viral video shows Chauhan promised to the people present that she would not let anything of this sort happen.

"We have 'satta' [power] and 'sangathan' [state government] at our disposal. We won't let the police intervene in child marriages," she is seen saying in the video.

You can watch the video here.

District collector of Pali, Sudhir Kumar Sharma has taken cognisance of the video in which Shobha can be heard making the shocking promise to statement to the voters. The election commission officer of the district said the matter is being investigated and an action will be taken if the video is found to be genuine.