A social panchayat held in Arya Nagar village in Haryana ’s Hisar district has passed a resolution against love marriages and announced that such unions between people from the same village will face a social boycott.
He suggested dialogue, adding that such orders can put their organisers at risk of criminal action for intimidation under the BNS . Senior advocate of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Kamal Anand said consenting adults have a fundamental right under Article 21 to choose their life partners, and panchayat diktats imposing social boycotts have no legal validity and may invite criminal and statutory action.
Hisar superintendent of police Siddhant Jain said that he will look into the matter, and that police will ensure the safely and security of such couples.
It added that a committee would conduct a door-to-door campaign to ascertain the villagers’ views on the ban. The resolution was adopted on Sunday at the gathering of village elders, attended by around 1,000 villagers, also proposed similar action against family members or others who support such marriages.
