Karnataka Governor gives assent to legislation against ‘honour killing’ in inter-caste marriages
Bengaluru: The government has brought into force the Karnataka Freedom of Choice in Marriage and Prevention and Prohibition of Crimes in the name of honour and tradition (Eva Nammava Eva Nammava) Act, 2026, intended to restrict ‘honour killings’ in inter-caste marriages.
According to The Indian Express, the legislation received assent from Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot on April 9 and was officially notified in the state gazette on April 10. The law had been passed unanimously by the state legislature last month.
The Bill was proposed by the Congress government in the wake of caste-linked ‘honour killings’ in the state, including the December 21, 2025, murder near Hubli of a 20-year-old Lingayat woman by her father for marrying a man from another caste.
The phrase ‘Eva Nammava Eva Nammava’ in the title is in reference to the message of universal humanity that the Lingayat saint Basavanna espoused. Basavanna, who rebelled against the caste system to lay the foundation of the Lingayat faith system, an amalgamation of all castes, used the words meaning ‘he is a part of me’ to say all people are one.
Under the new law, crimes committed in the name of ‘honour’, including murder, assault, threats, and social boycott, are specifically addressed with stringent punishments. ‘Honour killing’ offences carry a minimum imprisonment of five years, while serious assaults attract at least three years in jail.
The new law defines the social boycott of inter-caste couples as forcible eviction to remote corners of villages, refusal to provide services, refusal to provide work, refusal to conduct business, denial of loans and admissions to schools, and makes it punishable.
In the case of ‘honour killings’ per se, the new law prescribes a minimum imprisonment of five years, and in the case of assaults, a prison term that is not less than three years for serious injury and two years for minor injuries.
The offences under the proposed law are cognisable and non-bailable, which means police can carry out arrests without court permissions after taking up a case.
The legislation follows several reported inter-caste relationship-related killings in Karnataka in 2025, including cases in Raichur and another involving 18-year-old Kavita.
The law to protect the freedom of choice in marriages is among several social bills that the Congress government has brought out in line with its policies for the backward and downtrodden communities in the state.
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BJP kept up its tradition of giving power to corrupt, says Raut on WB CM; saffron party hits back
Mumbai (PTI): With Suvendu Adhikari taking oath as West Bengal Chief Minister, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday hit out at the BJP, alleging that the saffron party kept up its tradition of giving power to corrupt people.
The BJP, however, hit back at the Sena (UBT) MP, saying that while allegations against Adhikari have not been proven, Raut himself had been to jail in connection with a case.
Talking to reporters, Raut said that in a sting operation in 2020, five Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs, including Adhikari, were seen accepting money.
"After that, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided Adhikari (who was then with the TMC), following which he joined the BJP and now he is the CM," Raut said.
The stain on Adhikari is yet to be washed, Raut said.
"The BJP has kept up its tradition of giving power to corrupt people. It has to be lauded for this consistency," Raut said.
Adhikari on Saturday took oath as West Bengal's first BJP chief minister, marking a dramatic saffron turn in the state's political history.
The BJP secured 207 seats in the 294-member assembly in the recently concluded elections, ending the Trinamool Congress' 15-year rule and scripting its most significant electoral breakthrough in eastern India.
Reacting to the Sena (UB) leader's allegations, BJP spokesperson Navnath Ban said that while charges against Adhikari have not been proven, Raut has already spent time in jail.
"Suvendu Adhikari has not been found guilty, but Sanjay Raut has been to jail," he said.
Raut was arrested by the ED in August 2022 in connection with a money laundering case linked to the Mumbai Patra Chawl redevelopment project. He spent over three months in jail before being granted bail by a special court.
Ban also accused the erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government of indulging in corruption during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The BJP leader said cracks in the INDIA bloc were visible with the developments in Tamil Nadu involving the DMK and the Congress.
"Uddhav Thackeray should also be cautious as Congress will stab him as well in the back," he added.
In Tamil Nadu, after the Congress decided to ally with the Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) to form a government, the DMK has accused the grand old party of "backstabbing" the alliance at a crucial moment.
