Goa, July 17 -- Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Friday strongly backed the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), arguing that there should be a common set of personal laws for all citizens regardless of religion. Speaking at an event in Bhopal, he said marriage and family laws should apply equally to everyone.

Questioning the existence of different personal laws, Yadav said, "Why should the law be different for a Hindu and a Muslim? If Ram marries only once, why should Rahim be allowed to marry three or four times?" He added that Muslim women deserved equal protection and asserted that only those who marry once would have the legal right to live in Madhya Pradesh.

The Chief Minister also referred to the abolition of...