Opposition terms Assam UCC Bill BJP’s ‘political agenda’, seeks wider consultation

Opposition parties in the Assam Assembly on May 27 criticised the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, calling it the BJP’s “political agenda” and demanding broader consultations with stakeholders before the legislation is passed.

Participating in a discussion on the Uniform Civil Code, Assam, 2026 Bill, Congress Legislature Party leader Wajed Ali Choudhury argued that most provisions mentioned in the draft law are already covered under existing legislation.

“The topics mentioned in the UCC are already enforced in the form of different laws,” Choudhury said, referring to issues such as child marriage, polygamy, marriage and divorce registration, and alimony. “Then why has UCC been brought in?”

He claimed the proposed law would “complicate the whole process” rather than simplify legal provisions, and accused the BJP government of introducing it for political reasons.

“It’s not democratic to intervene in the personal issues of people. And how can a law excluding the tribals be called uniform?” he asked.

The Assam government had tabled the Bill on Monday with the stated aim of introducing a common legal framework on matters such as marriage, divorce, succession and live-in relationships, irrespective of religion. The draft legislation proposes a ban on polygamy, mandatory registration of live-in relationships, and penal provisions including up to seven years’ imprisonment for bigamy or polygamy.

However, the Bill excludes Scheduled Tribes residing in Assam from its ambit.

Congress MLA Jakir Hussain Sikdar said the then Law Commission, in 2018, had concluded there was no immediate need for a UCC and had recommended wider consultation if such a law was to be introduced.

“The Assam government introduced the Bill without discussing it with different groups of religious organisations,” Sikdar said, adding that “unity in diversity is our motto”.

He urged the Speaker not to proceed with the passage of the Bill without broader public consultations and questioned the exclusion of tribal communities from the proposed law.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s earlier remarks supporting a common law for all citizens, Sikdar said the Bill’s title itself should be reconsidered as it does not apply uniformly to every section of society.

“This Bill is just the BJP’s political agenda, as we already have existing laws dealing with the topics. We don’t need the UCC,” he said.

Congress MLA Nurul Huda moved an amendment seeking the inclusion of all tribes and communities under the proposed legislation.

“Our Constitution says there cannot be discrimination on the basis of caste, creed and religion. We cannot keep certain groups outside the purview of a law,” he said.

AIUDF legislator Mazibur Rahman argued that the proposed law could affect minority rights.

He said the government was invoking Article 44 of the Constitution, which falls under the Directive Principles of State Policy, but maintained that “fundamental rights cannot be sacrificed in the name of directive principles”.

Rahman also claimed that many provisions included in the proposed UCC already exist under Muslim Personal Law based on Shariat principles.