Naidunai Bureau: The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill has been passed in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly amid uproar on Tuesday. After Uttarakhand, Gujarat, and Assam, Madhya Pradesh will become the fourth state to implement the UCC.
The bill proposes several important provisions regarding live-in relationships and marriage. After the bill becomes law, it will be mandatory to register live-in relationships in Madhya Pradesh.
Once the UCC is implemented, accepting, promoting, or forcing derogatory or humiliating conditions like Halala for remarrying the same spouse after divorce will be considered a punishable offence.
Key Provisions In The Bill
- Ban on polygamy and mandatory government registration of marriages.
- Marriage Registration: Government registration of all marriages performed within the state will be mandatory. Failure to do so will result in a fine.
- A second marriage will not be permitted while a wife is alive. Similarly, a wife will not be permitted to remarry while a husband is alive.
- Equality and Empowerment: This bill promotes women's empowerment, social harmony, and equality. However, the social customs of citizens will continue as before.
- Register for live-in relationships
The Bill Empowers Women: CM Yadav
Earlier, MP Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, while addressing the assembly during the debate, asserted that only those who have married once will be allowed to live in Madhya Pradesh.
Anyone who marries more than once will now be jailed, he added. "Today we are making history. Some people treat sisters as toys. Our government will send those to hell who make women's lives miserable. The Uniform Civil Code has been introduced to ensure that every citizen, from Ram to Rahim, will be ruled by one law," he said.
Opposition Stages Protest Against UCC Bill
The Opposition is adopting a double standard on the important issue, the chief minister said, adding that the world is watching their act and they must be ashamed. Mothers and sisters will not forgive them, he added.
Meanwhile, Congress members, protesting, stormed the Speaker's podium and continued sloganeering. Leader of the Opposition Umang Singhar said providing 27 per cent reservation to OBCs is more important than the Uniform Civil Code. Why doesn't the government want to discuss this, he asked.
Arif Masood, MLA from Bhopal Central constituency, proposed an amendment to the bill. During the debate, he stated that Article 29 of the Constitution provides for the protection of minority rights.
"A particular community is being targeted as part of a political agenda. If the Indian government is in no hurry to enact this law, what has led to such a situation in Madhya Pradesh," Masood asked. He urged that the bill be sent to a Select Committee for consideration. This proposal was rejected, and the bill was passed by the Assembly on a majority vote.