How BJP Is Preparing Ground For UCC In Assam

The Assam government, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is likely to pass a Bill banning polygamy until a final decision is taken on a Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

Sarma said the state government is in favour of UCC, even as BJP allies in other states such as Tamil Nadu, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram have expressed their opposition to the implimentation of the UCC.

Link to UCC

The UCC is a matter which will be decided by Parliament, but the state can also take a call on it with the assent of the President, Sarma said at an event in Guwahati.

'UCC involves various issues and the Law Commission as well as the Parliamentary Committee is looking into it. The Assam government has already conveyed that it is in its support,' the chief minister said.

Pending the decision on the UCC, 'we want to take one of its segments polygamy - and ban it immediately. We are planning to introduce a Bill to ban it in the next assembly session in September, Sarma was quoted saying by PTI.

Sarma said if the state government fails to table the Bill for some reason, it will be done in the January session. In the meantime, however, if the UCC is implemented, we do not have to take this action as it will be merged with it,' he said.

Panel formed

In May, the Assam government has constituted a four-member expert committee to examine the legislative competence of the state legislature to enact a law to end polygamy.

The panel, headed by Justice (Retired) Rumi Phookan, has been asked to submit its report within sixty days.

A swipe at Opposition

Slamming the opposition, the chief minister wondered if a leader of that party has a daughter, 'will the person marry her off to somebody with two wives'. 'The problem is that Congress leaders do not realise the pain of Muslim women. They take their votes but they do not want to give back anything to them, he said.

The Congress wants the votes of both Muslim men and women but they want to serve only the men, Sarma added. 'Even Nabi (The Prophet) did not support polygamy as he had said that all Muslims should ideally have one wife. These are the essential points of Islam. The Congress should not support polygamy and stand with Muslim women, even if they lose some votes,' he said.

The Congress had opposed the abolition of triple talaq and now the UCC, so in a way the party is 'waging a war against Muslim women', he said. 'When they (Muslim women) emancipate themselves from the influence of the male, they will punish the Congress', Sarma claimed.

On AIUDF's Badruddin Ajmal's claim, Sarma asserted that he is the voice of Muslim men and not women. 'We are always interacting with Muslim women and they say that they have a problem as they cannot speak out openly. They also tell us that Allah will always bless Prime Minister Narendra Modi,' the BJP leader said.

The UCC which promises common laws on marriage, divorce and inheritance that would be applicable to all Indian citizens irrespective of religion, tribe or other local customs has been part of the BJP's election manifesto.