KOCHI: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that girls should have the strength to call off the marriage if the groom or his family demands a dowry. The Chief Minister was reacting to the suicide of a young doctor in Thiruvananthapuram during his Nava Kerala Yatra in Angamaly.

"The public and societal mindset needs to change. Society and parents should support the girl child. Strong measures were taken, including in the death of Vismaya in Kollam. We should also be able to take strong legal measures against such practices,'' the CM added.

"SFI and DYFI are not running interfaith marriage bureaus. It is good for everyone to understand that no one in the world can stop interfaith marriages," he added. Earlier, Naser Faizi Koodathayi had alleged that a move was being made under the leadership of SFI and DYFI to marry off Muslim girls to people of other religions.

"VD Satheesan was seen staying away from the press conference held by the opposition MLAs. I don't know what the matter was. Opposition MLAs should ask Satheesan why he missed the opportunity to criticize," the CM added.