GUWAHATI: Assam’s Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, has defended the government’s efforts to curb polygamy in the state asserting that such measures are aimed at benefiting the Muslim community and protecting women’s rights.
“I think that by stopping polygamy, (triple) talaq, child marriage – we are working more for the Muslims than any Congress government ever did,’ he said speaking at the concluding day of a two-day national executive meeting of the BJP’s Mahila Morcha.
Brushing off allegations that his government is anti-Muslim, he justified the government’s move adding that many Islamic countries have already eliminated such “bad practices”. However, he lamented that when India takes similar steps, it is met with opposition from Congress leaders Rahul and Sonia Gandhi, who label them as actions against the minority community.
He further reiterated that these measures are implemented to protect women, particularly those who are married at a young age, often as early as nine years old, becoming mothers by the age of 12, and subsequently compelled to accept their husbands’ multiple marriages.
“We believe that the nari shakti is with the BJP…” he said.
Earlier on September 3, the Chief Minister had announced that the government will table the Bill to impose a ban on polygamy in the state in the Assembly in December.
The opposition has critcised the move as politically motivated to appease specific sections of society. The Congress has asked the urgency to bring in such a bill, while the All India United Democratic Front MLA has characterised polygamy as a “personal decision”.
