Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, on Friday, 10 January, backed the khap panchayats' stand against marriages between people who come the same gotra citing "scientific reasons".
Gotra refers to a clan which claims the lineage from the same ancient ancestor.
NDTV quoted Khattar as saying, "It has been scientifically proven that same gotra marriages, which are opposed by Khap panchayats, should not happen. It is a belief in villages and Khap panchayats that there is a relationship of brother and sister (between men and women of same gotra). If we conduct ourselves according it, it has an impact on society."