Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday, 27 May 2026 publicly endorsed a new law targeting polygamy and interfaith marriage fraud, calling it the most secular, uniform and progressive legislation that will especially benefit the state's women by guaranteeing them rights in inheritance, divorce and desertion cases.

Context

Responding to a post on X, CM Sarma described the law as one that will 'especially benefit Assam's #NariShakti by protecting them from polygamy and Love Jihad, making these punishable offences and also ensuring women have full rights in case of inheritance, divorce and desertion.' The statement signals that the legislation has either been tabled or is in an advanced stage of finalisation in the Assam assembly.

The Chief Minister's framing positions the law simultaneously as a secular reform — in that it applies uniform rules regardless of religion — and as a gender-justice measure aimed at closing legal gaps that have historically left women, particularly in Muslim-majority pockets of the state, without adequate recourse.

Policy Backdrop

The move draws on Article 44 of the Indian Constitution, a Directive Principle that calls on the state to secure a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) governing marriage, divorce, inheritance and succession for all citizens. Uttarakhand became the first Indian state to enact such a code in 2024, covering marriage, divorce, inheritance and live-in relationships, setting a legislative template others have watched closely.

Assam signalled its own intent as far back as late 2023, when the state government announced plans to ban polygamy and strengthen women's property rights. The BJP, which governs both at the Centre and in Assam, has framed such reforms as advancing gender equality and national integration — a consistent plank in its multi-state legislative push since 2023.

The reference to 'Love Jihad' as a punishable offence is notable. Several BJP-ruled states have enacted laws regulating religious conversions in the context of marriage, though the constitutional validity of such provisions has been contested in various high courts. The precise scope of the Assam statute's definition and enforcement mechanism will be critical to how courts assess it.

Stakeholders and Impact

The law's most direct beneficiaries, as articulated by CM Sarma, are Assam's women — particularly those in communities where polygamy has been practised under personal law and where inheritance rights for women have been weakly enforced. Advocates for women's rights have long argued that codified, religion-neutral rules on divorce and property division are essential for genuine economic security.

Critics, however, contend that legislation targeting polygamy and interfaith marriages disproportionately affects Muslim communities and risks being used as an instrument of discrimination rather than liberation. Civil liberties groups are expected to scrutinise the 'Love Jihad' provisions closely, and constitutional challenges before the Gauhati High Court or the Supreme Court of India remain a distinct possibility.

What's Next

The immediate question is whether the Assam assembly will pass the law in its current session and when enforcement will begin. CM Sarma, as convenor of the North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), also wields influence over several other northeastern states; observers will watch whether NEDA-aligned governments in the region move to adopt similar statutes.

Longer term, the Assam law will add to the body of state-level UCC-adjacent legislation that could either accelerate or complicate the Centre's own deliberations on a national Uniform Civil Code — a debate that is certain to intensify ahead of future electoral cycles.