Assam CM: No objection to Ajmal blowing air into bottle, but seeking votes through healing session will face ban

Speaking on the Assam government tabled Healing Act, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on February 26 said that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and Healing Act have no common ground and hence cannot be held together as one.

"We are trying to stop child marriage either through UCC or Muslim Marriage Act" said Himanta Biswa Sarma while addressing the House on the last Budget session of Assam Legislative Assembly. 

Drawing similarities and dissimilarities of Healing Act, the chief minister of Assam said, "In 1954 the then Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru brought the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisement) Act. By speaking on the issue, Congress today is indirectly criticizing Nehru. As per Nehru's Act, Nehru banned on talisman's (mantra), kavach, and any charm that is alleged to produce any miraculous powers. We believe in mantras, even the tribal people believe that there is power in mantras. Mayong was already destroyed in 1954 after Nehru banned through Drugs and Remedies Objectional Act. We don't want to destroy the tribal traditions and culture. We are not bringing Nehru's extremism in this bill" 

"We observed that if we implement this bill then the entire culture and traditions of the people of Assam will end. Hence we thought of revising the bill. We will send a request to the centre and say that we will implement our bill instead of the previous one. Magical Remedy Act. Non practice of healing activities with ulterior motive wil face ban. Healing practice is not banned. But if Ajmal Sahab will blow in the water bottle with the motive of asking votes, then we will have to ban", quipped CM Sarma

Also read: Himanta Biswa Sarma challenges AIUDF, says "won't allow business of child marriage in Assam till I am alive"