Mohan Yadav’s UCC pitch: Only those who marry once have ‘legal right’ to reside in Madhya Pradesh

2 min readBhopalJul 18, 2026 07:09 AM IST

Addressing a public event, Yadav said, “Why should there be separate laws for Hindus and Muslims? There should be one law for everyone. If Ram will marry once, why should Rahim marry twice or four times? Muslim sisters are also our sisters.”

(File photo)

Making a pitch for the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Friday said there should be “one law for everyone” and suggested that people should not be allowed to have multiple spouses.

Addressing a public event, Yadav said, “Why should there be separate laws for Hindus and Muslims? There should be one law for everyone. If Ram will marry once, why should Rahim marry twice or four times? Muslim sisters are also our sisters.”

The Chief Minister said the proposed UCC would legally recognise only one marriage.

“Under the proposed Uniform Civil Code, only a person who has one marriage will have the legal right to reside in Madhya Pradesh… There should be one system for everyone. Why should there be different laws?” he asked.

Referring to the abolition of instant triple talaq, Yadav said, “If anyone says ‘talaq, talaq, talaq’, they will be sent to jail. The era of triple talaq is over. Only one marriage will be legally recognised.”

Announcing the government’s roadmap, the Chief Minister said, “We are bringing this law in Madhya Pradesh through the government because there should be no discrimination among citizens. We are all the children of Mother India in this country. We are going to introduce this Bill in the upcoming monsoon session. Before taking the Bill to the Assembly, we will approve it in the next Cabinet meeting, scheduled to be held at Jagdishpur in Bhopal.”

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Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy.

Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free.

Expertise and Reporting Beats

Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors:

National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres.

Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA).

Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking.

Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers.

Professional Background

Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017.

Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh.

Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs.

Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife.

Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance.

Digital & Professional Presence

Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express

Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More

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