Lucknow, Nov 28 (IANS) In the wake of Assam passing the Anti-Polygamy Bill, Lucknow Islamic Centre Chairman Maulana Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahali on Friday said that the concept of having more than one marriage remains an essential part of Islamic personal law.

Speaking to IANS, Maulana Firangi Mahali said: “The Constitution of India grants every citizen full freedom to practice their religion. Religious freedom is a fundamental right, and every community has the legal right to follow its personal laws in matters related to faith.”

He further stated that while Islam permits more than one marriage, it also imposes strict conditions.

“The concept of more than one marriage is an integral part of Islamic personal law, but Islam also lays down very strict guidelines for it,” he said.

Referring to data trends, the Maulana added: “If you look at the ground reality, the percentage of people with more than one marriage is actually higher in the majority community compared to the minority community.”

The Assam Assembly on Thursday passed the Bill to ban polygamy, making it a punishable offence with up to seven years of imprisonment, along with a provision for compensation to the victim woman.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the Assam Prohibition of Polygamy Bill, 2025, is the first step towards bringing in new legislation in the state, in line with the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill passed by the Uttarakhand Assembly.

Under the provisions of the Bill, any person found guilty of unlawfully entering into a second marriage while the first marriage is still subsisting can face imprisonment of up to seven years. Any person who hides an existing marriage and proceeds to marry again shall face 10 years in jail and a fine.

However, it excludes Scheduled Tribes and areas under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which grants autonomy to tribal regions in northeastern states.

The Bill defines ‘polygamy’ as the act of marrying or being married to another person when either of the parties already has a subsisting marriage or a living spouse from whom he/she is not legally divorced, or their marriage is not legally annulled or declared void.

–IANS

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