Thiruvananthapuram, April 11 (IANS) A political storm has erupted in Kerala over the marriage of teenage girl Monalisa Bhosle, who gained public attention after the Kumbh Mela, with the Kerala Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday accusing the CPI-M leaders of complicity and demanding criminal action.

State BJP General Secretary, S. Suresh, alleged that the marriage was part of a larger conspiracy and asked how a 16-year-old girl could be married off under the watch of political leaders.

Suresh accused the CPI-M of attempting to cloak the incident in the name of secularism and alleged that senior party leaders, including party’s State Secretary M.V. Govindan, Education Minister V. Sivankutty and MP A.A. Rahim, had committed offences warranting legal action.

He asked why a minor who had arrived from another state was allowed to be married instead of being protected.

The controversy escalated after the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes reportedly found that the girl was underage at the time of the wedding to facilitate the marriage.

Based on these findings, the Madhya Pradesh Police have registered a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act against the groom, Farman Khan.

Officials said that further investigation is ongoing.

The Commission’s legal team believes there is prima facie evidence of a conspiracy and called for additional charges under the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and for forgery.

BJP leader Suresh also demanded action against all those who facilitated the marriage without proper verification of document.

The marriage took place on March 11 at a temple near Thiruvananthapuram.

Hospital records reportedly show the girl was born in December 2009, making her a minor at the time of the marriage ceremony.

The Commission has summoned the Kerala Police Chief Ravada A. Chandrasekhar and Madhya Pradesh Police Chief S.K. Rout to appear in Delhi over the matter.

The CPI-M has denied organising the wedding, saying that party leaders attended only after learning the ceremony was happening.

The case continues to trigger debate across political and legal circles, with investigations expected to intensify in the coming days.

–IANS

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