Dindori: The opposition Congress party demanded an investigation into the incident, calling it a "insult to the poor," after it was discovered that some of the would-be brides in the Madhya Pradesh government's mass marriage scheme were pregnant during medical tests. An official from the district indicated that officials in charge of the venue did not order pregnancy tests to be done on any of the brides who complained of gynaecological problems. An official stated on Sunday that the problem stems from the 219 marriages that took place on Saturday in Gadasarai town in Dindori district under the 'Mukhya Mantri Kanya Vivah Yojana' to celebrate Akshaya Tritiya.
Omkar Singh Markam, a Congress lawmaker, has called such testing an insult to the poor and has demanded that the state government make clear the norms and regulations regarding such pregnancy tests.
According to PTI, Dindori collector Vikas Mishra issued orders for the screening of participants for sickle cell (anaemia) during the mass marriage event.
Doctors at the facility decided to conduct pregnancy tests on those brides who complained of period problems during medical inspections, Mishra added.
“There was no directive from the administration to conduct pregnancy tests. The four women who were found to be pregnant were not allowed to take part in the mass marriage,” he added.
Couples who qualify for the state's "Mukhaya Mantri Kanya Vivah Yojana" receive a cash gift of Rs 56,000.
Kamal Nath, the leader of the state Congress, has called for an investigation into the matter to be conducted at the highest possible level.
More than 200 women, he said, were coerced into taking pregnancy tests during the event, citing media accounts.
“I wanted to know from the chief minister if this news is true. If this news is true, then on whose orders was such insult done to the daughters of Madhya Pradesh? Do the daughters of the poor and tribal communities have no dignity in the eyes of the Chief Minister? Madhya Pradesh under Shivraj Singh Chouhan government is leading in cases of misbehaviour with women,” Nath tweeted.
The previous chief minister of Madhya Pradesh called for a thorough investigation and harsh penalties for anyone responsible.
“This is not just a matter of pregnancy test, but this is about a malicious attitude towards women,” he added.—Inputs from Agencies