Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma contended that the bill is not against Islam, and said several Muslim-majority countries have also prohibited the practice.
The Assam government on Thursday passed a bill in the Assembly to ban polygamy.
The Assam Prohibition of Polygamy Bill, 2025, had been introduced on Tuesday. It proposes up to seven years of imprisonment for persons convicted of polygamy, the practice of having more than one wife. Further, those found guilty of having concealed their previous marriage can face punishment of up to ten years’ imprisonment.
It also states that if parents, priests or village heads hide a polygamous marriage from the police, or “unreasonably” delay providing such information to the authorities, they would also be held liable for abetting the offence.
Further, a priest who knowingly solemnises a polygamous marriage can be punished with imprisonment of up to two years.
