MP virginity test: NCW,state panel differ

While the National Commission for Women NCW has rejected Shahdol district administration's report that brides-to-be...

While the National Commission for Women NCW has rejected Shahdol district administration8217;s report that brides-to-be were not subjected to a virginity test at a mass marriage camp on June 30,the Madhya Pradesh State Commission for Women has found the same report satisfactory.

There is no grain of truth in the allegations, state commission chairperson Krishnakanta Tomar told The Indian Express on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day,the Assembly saw unruly scenes with Congress MLAs trying to put the BJP government on the mat on the same issue. Speaker Ishwardas Rohani assured the Opposition that he would ensure discussion on the issue in some form or the other but not the way the Opposition insisted.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and other BJP leaders also cited the same report to deny that beneficiaries of Mukhyamantri Kanyadaan Yojana were subjected to humiliation.

Medical examination was carried out to prevent misuse of the scheme, Chouhan said.

The report filed by Shahdol Collector Neeraj Dubey said 13 women were found to be pregnant and one was found to be minor. He said the sub-divisional magistrate had given instructions for examining the potential beneficiaries because at the previous camp a woman developed labour pain and delivered a baby at a nearby hospital.

Dubey told The Indian Express that the normal practice is to consider only those women who have registered in advance. However,on June 30 more than 60 girls turned up in addition to the 94 who had registered before.

Story continues below this ad

Since a case of delivery had been reported only four days ago,a gynaecologist from the government hospital was asked to examine them. There was no internal examination. As many as 13 were found to be pregnant, he said.

But Dubeys report has not found favour with NCW chairperson Girija Vyas who said outside Parliament that a five-member team would be sent to Shahdol.

When the scheme is open for widows and divorcees where is the question of virginity test, asked state commission member Upma Rai.

Both Rai and Tomar said medical examination was necessary also because many minors try to benefit from the scheme. Tomar said the state commission would cooperate with the national body only if they asked for assistance.