ALL INDIA POLITICAL PARTIES MEET

For immediate release 21st Jan 2018

Agenda: Feasibility of criminalisation of marital Rape.

On 20TH JANUARY 2018 a party conference of the major political parties was by The
Hon’ble called Prime Minister Of India, Shri Narendra Modi to discuss the feasibility of
criminalisation of marital rape. Eminent personalities were also invited to speak on the issue.

The two day conference discussion was held on the need and challenges of criminalisation of
marital rape. The United Progressive Alliance pushed for removing the second exception to
Section 375 of the India Penal code. The ruling National Democratic Alliance informed the
parties that Law Commission has been requested to deliberate on the issue of criminalising
marital rape. Under the current set of guidelines provided under the Personal Laws for
divorce, marital rape is not included in any of the Personal Laws. The grounds for divorce
include cruelty however marital rape doesn’t come under the ambit of cruelty. Thus, a woman
cannot take the same as a ground for divorce. The ruling Bhartiya Janata party proposed that
women should have a right take to divorce on grounds of Marital Rape. While getting
married under any religion, may it be Hinduism, Christianity, Islam or any other religion
practiced across the nation, certain vows are exchanged- about trusting each other, living for
each other with respect protecting each other’s dignity and never compromising on the
sanctity of marriage. Marriage is not just an institution, it is solemnising of coming together
of two persons. And under these circumstances, protecting the interest of the parties to a
marriage is imperative.

Marital rape denigrates the honour and dignity of a human being, and reduces her to a chattel
to be utilised for one’s self convenience and comfort. It reduces a woman to a corpse,
living under the constant fear of hurt or injury. Medical evidence proves that rape has
severe and long lasting consequences for women. The BJP concurred that in not
providing for divorce laws in the event of rape within marriages, the law is lacking,
and must be amended. The ruling government proposed a National Gender Equality
Programme to raise awareness about the existing laws for the protection of women.
The finance minister Sh. Arun Jaitley proposed to allocate Rs 650 Cr rupees for the
same. The law minister Sh. Ravi Shankar Prasad proposed the CBSE should review
its syllabus and make additions to promote gender equality. The BJP informed all
political parties that further deliberations on the removing the second exception to
Section 375 would be held once the Law Commission submits it’s report to the
Government.