Polygamy will be banned in Assam before 2024: Himanta

Guwahati (IANS) | Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said that polygamy will be banned in Assam before 2024. Addressing reporters here, he said that “the process of constituting a committee is underway for a detailed study on the implementation of the ban on polygamy in the state”.

The Chief Minister said, I hope that it will be formed by this evening. He said the committee would be given three months to submit its report.

He said, I am hopeful that by the end of this year, before 2024, we can have a law banning polygamy in Assam.

Sarma’s comments come three days after he said in a tweet that the Assam government has decided to form an expert committee to examine whether the state legislature has the power to prohibit polygamy in the state.

The committee will examine the provisions of the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Act, 1937 along with Article 25 of the Constitution of India as Directive Principles of State Policy, Sarma tweeted. The committee will hold wide consultations with all the stakeholders.

Earlier, All India United Democratic Front chief Badruddin Ajmal had criticized Sarma’s proposal to ban polygamy.

He had replied, “There are many problems in the state, but the chief minister is busy with other things.”

Responding to Ajmal’s statement, Sarma had said, “He (Badruddin Ajmal) is our opposition.” If he supports me, how will people vote for him in the next election? Therefore, I do not give importance to Ajmal.

–IANS