‘Assam has 34–35% minority population, making UCC adoption more significant’: BJP MLA Rajdeep Roy

Silchar BJP MLA Rajdeep Roy on May 27 described the passage of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill in the Assam Legislative Assembly as a “historic day” for the state, saying Assam has become the third state in the country after Uttarakhand and Gujarat to adopt such legislation.

Speaking to India Today NE after the Bill was passed in the Assembly, Roy said the development marked a major milestone and highlighted Assam’s demographic diversity while defending the legislation against opposition criticism.

“It's a very historic day for Assam. Assam is the third state in India after Uttarakhand and Gujarat to pass this UCC in some form,” Rai said.

Referring to Goa, Roy noted that the coastal state has long followed a common civil framework inherited from the Portuguese Civil Code after joining the Indian Union in 1961.

“Legally, Goa was the first state with such a system. Assam is now the third state, but importantly, it has one of the highest minority populations,” he said.

Roy argued that Assam’s demographic composition makes the adoption of the Uniform Civil Code particularly significant.

“Uttarakhand has around 13–14 per cent minority population, Gujarat around 9.6 per cent, whereas Assam has nearly 34–35 per cent minority population,” he said.

Also Read: Assam becomes third state to adopt UCC, historic bill passed in first Assembly session: Himanta

The BJP legislator said support for a Uniform Civil Code has been part of the ideological position of the BJP and earlier, the Jan Sangh for decades.

“Since the 1967 general election, it has consistently found space in our manifestos,” he said.

Targeting the opposition, particularly the Congress, Roy accused critics of opposing the legislation from what he termed “old archaic thoughts”.

Responding to allegations that the Bill was passed only because of the ruling party’s majority, Roy referred to past debates around personal laws and judicial rulings, including the Shah Bano and triple talaq cases.

He also rejected allegations that provisions of the proposed law target a particular religion.

“There is not a single word mentioned against Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism or Christianity. Those allegations are a figment of imagination,” Roy said.

On concerns raised by opposition leaders over provisions allegedly affecting certain communities, Roy said the Bill would undergo further constitutional scrutiny.

The Assam Assembly on May 27 passed the Uniform Civil Code Bill through a voice vote amid opposition protests and demands to send the legislation to a select committee for wider review. The Bill will now be sent for Presidential assent before implementation procedures begin.