Congress MP blames families of couples for honour killings

Rajya Sabha MP and former Haryana finance minister Birender Singh today blamed the families of couples for honour killings which have rocked the state, saying there was no "evidence" to attribute the menace to khap panchayats.

"In these killings, either families of both sides (boy and girl) or one of them are involved. Khap panchayats only decide certain marriages as null and void. There is no such evidence to which we can attribute honour killings to khap panchayats," he said.

The Congress leader also stated that it would take some time before the confrontation between old beliefs and changing social values get sorted out.

"We have confrontation between old beliefs and changing social scenario as the society is in a transition phase. It may take some time to get things settled down," Singh told reporters here today.

He asserted that Haryana's society was not a "closed" one as it was being perceived by certain quarters in view of the spate of honour killings in the state.

Singh, however, said that same 'gotra' marriages were completely banned in some families.

Asked about khap panchayats' demand to bring amendment in the Hindu Marriage Act, Singh opined that there was already a provision in the Act which banned same gotra marriage.

"I met members of khap panchayat and asked them to select a few lawyers to study the law (Hindu Marriage Act)," he added.