On June 10 -- a day marked by protests in Uttar Pradesh, the state also witnessed around 12,000 couples tying the knot under a state government-aided initiative for mass weddings.
Violent protests were triggered in some districts of UP on Friday over remarks on Prophet Mohammad by now-suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma.
On the same day, mass marriages, under a UP government initiative, were held in 60 districts of the state, according to the Social Welfare Ministry.
The ministry said 12,000 couples tied the knot during the day, with the maximum weddings taking place in the district of Sambhal (419), followed by Ghazipur (418), Varanasi (314), Jaunpur (287) and Unnao (281).
UP Minister of State for Social Welfare Asim Arun, who attended a mass marriage programme in Lucknow, said the initiative is aimed at providing support to the families of poor girls and will also help curb evils like dowry.
The government is working on the policy of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'. The marriage of poor women across religions is included in the priority of the government. This will also help curb evils, such as dowry, and parents will be able to focus on better education of daughters without worrying about their marriage, Arun told PTI.
According to officials, the social welfare ministry had been preparing for the mass marriages for several months.
The government's support to the poor families comes in the form of gifts to the bride and Rs 35,000 which is transferred into her bank account.
The gifts to the bride from the government range from jewellery to new clothes and household items, the officials said.
Considering the large number of weddings that were to take place, the ministry had also instructed district-level officials to ensure transparency in the expenditures related to the mega event.
Instructions were given to complete the programme in a completely transparent manner. Committees were formed at the district-level to keep an eye on expenditures and fix responsibility for the works, an official said, adding the next round of mass weddings with government support is scheduled for June 17.
