Only those who marry once can live in Madhya Pradesh: Mohan Yadav's big UCC pitch
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Friday strongly pitched for the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), saying only those who marry once
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Friday strongly pitched for the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), saying only those who marry once would have the legal right to live in the state and that there shouldn't be different personal laws for people of different religions. Speaking on the proposed UCC at an event in Bhopal, Yadav said laws governing marriage and family matters should be uniform for all citizens irrespective of religion. Read Full Story "Why should the law be different for a Hindu and for a Muslim? Shouldn't there be a single law for everyone? If Ram marries just once in his lifetime, then why should Rahim be allowed to marry three or four times? Muslim women are also our sisters. Now, only those who marry once will have the legal right to live in Madhya Pradesh," he said.
The Chief Minister referred to the banning of instant triple talaq, saying, "If anyone says 'talaq, talaq, talaq', they will be picked up and sent to jail. The era of triple talaq is over. Everyone has the right to only one marriage." Yadav's remarks came amid a wider push by BJP-ruled states to bring in a UCC, which seeks to replace religion-based personal laws with a common set of civil laws governing issues such as marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption. Uttarakhand became the first state in independent India to enact a UCC in February 2024. Gujarat and Assam also moved towards introducing similar laws earlier this year. West Bengal, which voted for the BJP earlier this year, is also considering bringing a UCC. UCC BILL IN MP ASSEMBLY SOON? Yadav's remarks also came days after he indicated that his government was moving ahead with plans to introduce a UCC Bill during the Monsoon Session of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, which is set to begin on July 20.
Earlier this week, while addressing a public event in Indore, the Chief Minister said there should not be separate laws for citizens based on religion. "When our country is one, why should there be different laws for people of different religions? If a person named Ramchandra marries once, then a person named Rahim can also be expected to marry only once," he had said. COMMITTEE SUBMITS REPORT ON UCC The push for a UCC gathered momentum after a committee constituted by the Madhya Pradesh government submitted its report to Yadav earlier this week. The report has since been forwarded to the state's law department for further examination. The panel, headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, was tasked with studying personal and family laws relating to marriage, divorce, maintenance, inheritance, adoption and live-in relationships.
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