Marry before elections or face jail under UCC later: Assam CM to AIUDF chief

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said that the All India United Democratic Front chief Badruddin Ajmal should get married now if he wants to, otherwise after elections, he will be arrested for violating the Uniform Civil Code.

The comments came after Ajmal earlier this week said that he can still get married. “I can do so even if the chief minister doesn’t want me to, that’s how much strength I have,” he said.

On Saturday, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader told reporters that if Ajmal wants to get married he should do so before the elections.

“After the elections, the Uniform Civil Code will be implemented in Assam,” Sarma said. “If he marries after that, he will be arrested.”

Sarma added: “If he invites us now, we will also go because it’s not illegal so far. As far as I know, he has one wife. He can marry two or three more, but we will stop polygamy right after the elections. The entire draft is ready.”

The Uniform Civil Code, is a proposed common set of laws governing marriage, divorce, succession and adoption for all citizens. Currently, such personal affairs of different religious and tribal groups – except in Uttarakhand and Goa – are based on community-specific laws, largely derived from...

Read more