Overview
- Thamba Patti Mehar Deshkhap in Baghpat announced directives for under-18s that ban shorts or half-pants in public and discourage smartphone use.
- The panchayat advised kurta-pyjamas for boys and salwar-kurtas for girls, objected to banquet-hall weddings, and suggested home ceremonies with WhatsApp invitations.
- PTI reporting shows a divided local reaction, with historian Amit Rai Jain calling the measures impractical and noting that only state authorities can make laws.
- Support came from RLD MP Rajkumar Sangwan and Congress leader Chaudhary Yashpal Singh, while another khap figure emphasized counseling over coercion.
- Khap leaders Chaudhary Brijpal Singh and Subhash Chaudhary said they will pursue implementation via community consultations and try to extend the measures through other khaps, with no sign of legal enforcement.