It has been said that in some States polygamy has been prohibited by law while in others it still continues and it is considered necessary to enact the law to remove this anomaly. Apart from the fact that the Hindu Law, by making custom source of law, recognises such anomaly, our present-day laws also permit such anomaly to exist in different parts of the country.
The constitution itself recognises the possibility and even the necessity of having different laws in different States on all the Subjects included in the State List and the concurrent List of its seventh schedule.
I do not consider that it is more anomalous for a man to go free and unhindered in one State and to be liable to be convicted in another State for having two wives at a time than for him to go about equally freely in one State and liable to be convicted in another State for possessing a bottle of liquor.
I have not heard of any proposal to establish uniformity of law and abolish this anomaly by prohibiting the possession of liquor in all States by Central legislation as is sought to be done in the case of polygamy.
Dr. Rajendra Prasad,
Letter to Nehru dated 15/09/1951.
Pilgrimage to freedom,
Page: 580.