“Want to ban polygamy in state, will form expert committee to check provisions”: Assam CM

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that the state government wants to ban polygamy in the state and has decided to form an expert committee to check for legal provisions for the same.

CM Himanta Sarma said that the state government wants to ban polygamy in the state and added that an expert committee will be formed to check if the state has the authority to prohibit polygamy in the region.

“We are not going through Uniform Civil Code (UCC), but we want to ban polygamy under a State Act. Assam Government has decided to form an expert committee to investigate whether the State Government has the authority to prohibit polygamy in the region. Assam Government wants to ban polygamy in the state”, CM Sarma said.

He further said that the committee will engage broadly in discussions with all stakeholders including legal experts and will scrutinize the provisions of the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Act, 1937.

“The committee will scrutinize the provisions of The Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Act, 1937, along with Article 25 of the Constitution of India, in relation to the directive principle of state policy for a uniform civil code. The committee will engage in extensive discussions with all stakeholders, including legal experts, to arrive at a well-informed decision”, he said.

Earlier on Saturday, CM Sarma, while addressing a rally in poll-bound Karnataka, said that implementing a Uniform Civil Code is important in the state for ending the system of men making “four marriages” and women being made “child producing machines”.

The Assam CM was holding a roadshow in Shanivarasanthe Madikeri in the Kodagu district of Karnataka, as part of the campaign for the BJP.

Addressing the people, the Assam CM said, “We also have to make Uniform Civil Code. Muslim women and daughters are made to marry over four times. Is it a system? Such a rule should not exist in the world. We have to bring Uniform Civil Code and end this system”.

“Muslim daughters should be made doctors, and engineers, not child-producing machines. BJP has promised to work on Uniform Civil Code if voted to power. I would like to thank the BJP for that,” he added.

Notably, BJP in its manifesto, has promised the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code in the state of Karnataka, on the basis of the recommendations of a high-level committee which is to be constituted for the purpose, if voted to power.

This announcement is similar to the one, BJP made in the run-up to the Gujarat and Uttarakhand Assembly polls last year.