BJP drops sitting MLA from candidate list from Udupi, epicenter of Hijab row
Fields controversial, emerging Hindutva leader Yashpal Suvarna from constituency
Udupi: In a surprising move, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has dropped Raghupathi Bhat, a prominent leader in Coastal Karnataka, from its list of candidates for the upcoming Karnataka elections. Bhat, who is the MLA for the Udupi constituency, had played a key role in the controversial Hijab row in his constituency.
The decision to drop Bhat from the list of candidates has surprised many, as he was seen as one of the contenders for the party’s ticket from the constituency. Bhat's removal has also raised questions about the party's strategy and approach toward the upcoming elections.
While Bhat's role in the Hijab row has been a topic of discussion. The BJP has not given any official reason for his removal.
Bhat's involvement in the Hijab row had sparked widespread protests in the Udupi region. Bhat, who was the President of the college development committee at the Women’s Government PU College, Udupi where the Hijab issue first began, had sought the case to be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the protests.
It is worth noting that Bhat has been replaced by Yashpal Suvarna as the BJP candidate in the Udupi constituency.
Yashpal Suvarna is one of the staunchest supporters of Hindutva ideology and had made controversial remarks against protesters in the Hijab row. He went on to call the protesters and petitioners of the Hijab row ‘terrorists’. He was also the vice president of the college committee at the Women’s Government PU College during the Hijab row.
Apart from his role in the Hijab issue, Suvarna was also one of the main accused in the infamous 2005 Adiudupi lynching of a father-son duo alleging cattle transport. He was later acquitted in the case.
Suvarna belongs to the Mogaveera community which holds a major vote share in the district. He has emerged as one of the staunchest supporters of Hindutva in Coastal Karnataka. The move of the BJP is being seen as an attempt to further its Hindutva agenda by fielding supporters of Hindutva.
The Karnataka elections are expected to be closely contested, with the BJP and the opposition parties vying for the support of the voters.
The BJP is hoping to win a majority of the seats in the region and form the next government in Karnataka. Bhat's removal from the list of candidates has thrown a curveball in the party's election strategy, and it remains to be seen how this decision will impact the party's prospects in the upcoming elections.
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Supreme Court declares child marriages violate basic rights, urges Parliament to act
New Delhi, October 18, 2024: The Supreme Court on Friday ruled that child betrothals—a tactic often used to evade the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA)—violate fundamental rights, including freedom of choice, autonomy, and the right to childhood.
A three-judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, along with Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, emphasized that the anti-child marriage law was unclear on child betrothals. The Court urged Parliament to outlaw the practice and categorize children whose marriages are arranged as “minors in need of care and protection” under the Juvenile Justice Act.
The judgment noted that despite international frameworks like the 1977 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), India has not fully addressed the issue of child betrothals. Under the PCMA, girls under 18 and boys below 21 are considered children, and child marriage is both a crime and a social evil.
Chief Justice Chandrachud pointed out that confusion persists regarding the intersection of personal laws and the PCMA. The Court acknowledged that the government had submitted a “note” suggesting that the PCMA should take precedence over personal laws, citing conflicting High Court judgments. However, the note was not backed by formal documentation, and the matter remains unresolved, with an Amendment Bill introduced in December 2021 still pending in Parliament.
The Court also broke new ground by addressing the impact of child marriage on boys. The judgment highlighted how patriarchal expectations, misinformation, and peer pressure push boys into committing violence against their child brides. “While girls are disproportionately affected, the right to childhood belongs to all genders,” Chief Justice Chandrachud observed.
“The intent of POCSO is to protect children from sexual harm, while child marriage institutionalizes sexual abuse by subjecting minor girls to exploitation,” the CJI stated. He further noted that child marriage reduces children to objects, imposing burdens such as compulsory heterosexuality and reproductive expectations, which deny them the freedom to explore their sexuality and personal choices.
The Court issued several guidelines, including:
• Introducing culturally appropriate sexuality education in schools.
• Launching a ‘Child Marriage Free Village’ campaign, similar to the ‘Open Defecation Free Village’ initiative, with the involvement of community leaders.
• Establishing an online portal under the Home Ministry for reporting child marriages.
• Creating a compensation scheme under the Ministry of Women and Child Development for girls who opt out of child marriages.
• Allocating an annual budget to prevent child marriages and support those affected by the practice.
The verdict was delivered in response to petitions by NGOs, including the Society for Enlightenment and Voluntary Action, which raised concerns about the persistence of child marriages despite nearly two decades of the PCMA. The Court warned that child marriage poses a direct threat to laws like the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
