Brides Compelled for Pregnancy Test Before Mass Marriage in MP; Controversy Blows Up

Bhopal: Girls were allegedly compelled to have “pregnancy tests” to be eligible for “Mukhyamantri Kanya Vivah”, a mass marriage program by Madhya Pradesh government in tribal-dominated Dindori district. The state government provides a Rs 51,000 grant to each bride of this mass marriage.

As per reports, pregnancy tests of these girls were conducted before they took part in the mass marriage ceremony on the occasion of Akshay Tritiya on Saturday. It is alleged that four women were barred from getting married at this mass marriage ceremony when they tested positive for the pregnancy test.

Opposition Congress criticized this act of the BJP government in the state. . State Congress President Kamal Nath raised questions over the ‘pregnancy tests’ of women and demanded a high-level inquiry in the matter. “I want to know from the Chief Minister whether this news is true? If this is true, then on whose orders was such gross 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 CM?” he said in a series of tweets.

Local MLA Markam Singh said, by conducting such tests, the government has not only insulted the poor women but also put their life at risk after releasing their reports.

A total of 219 women from Scheduled Tribes (ST), Schedule Castes (SC) and OBC families were brides in the mass marriage ceremony, declared Dindori district administration

The district administration had a different stance. According to the district administration, directives were issued during the mass marriage event for the detection of sickle cell disease of those taking part. He also said that during the medical examination, some brides had complained of periods issues after which the pregnancy test was conducted.