Bengal likely to table UCC Bill in Assembly on Monday
What's the story
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has announced that his government will introduce the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state following due legal procedure. The bill is likely to be tabled in the assembly on Monday, during the ongoing budget session. Adhikari's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had promised to implement the UCC within six months after coming to power. The code seeks to standardize laws related to marriage, divorce, and inheritance for all citizens.
Legal procedure
West Bengal will follow legal procedure for UCC implementation
Adhikari said West Bengal will follow the legal procedure for implementing UCC, similar to Gujarat and Assam. "There is a procedure for UCC implementation, and we will adhere to that," he said. A minister in his cabinet also noted that several states have already implemented UCC proposals, including Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra. "Bengal will now also implement it in line with other BJP-ruled states as we had promised ahead of the elections," they said.
Election promise
BJP's election manifesto promises UCC implementation within 6 months
If passed, West Bengal will be the fourth state after Uttarakhand, Gujarat, and Assam to implement UCC. The BJP has 207 MLAs in the 294-member house and is in a position to pass the Bill, which is anticipated to spark a heated political discussion, given that Muslims make up 27% of the state's population. The previous Trinamool Congress administration had rejected the UCC.
Opposition stance
Trinamool Congress MP criticizes decision, calls it against secularism
Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy has criticized the decision to implement UCC, calling it against secularism. He said, "We are opposed to UCC right from the beginning. It is against secularism." "One reason is that Jawaharlal Nehru had assured the Muslim community that the Uniform Civil Code would not be implemented until the community accepted it," he said.