The Madhya Pradesh Congress landed in controversy today after a former minister’s regressive comment on a woman’s minimum age for marriage.

“When girls can reproduce at 15 years, why raise their marriageable age from 18 to 21 years,” Sajjan Singh Verma — former PWD minister and Kamal Nath loyalist — had questioned, setting off BJP demands for an apology and his sacking from the party.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has issued notice to Mr Verma, ordering him to “provide an explanation within two days giving reasons and justifying his intention for making such discriminatory statement against minor girls and law.”