UCC Bill to be tabled in West Bengal Assembly on Monday
Kolkata, June 25
A Bill on the Uniform Civil Code in West Bengal will be tabled on the floor of the State Assembly on Monday, making West Bengal the fourth Indian state to adopt a system replacing the existing religion-based personal laws with a single, unified set of civil laws that apply equally to all citizens, irrespective of religion, caste or tribe.
The three other states that have already adopted the UCC are Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Assam.
"The decision to move the Bill was taken at a meeting convened by Speaker Rathindra Bose within the Assembly premises on Thursday evening. The meeting continued for some time. A total of five Bills will be placed on the floor of the House on Monday, of which one, and presumably the most important, is the Bill on the UCC," said a member of the West Bengal Assembly, who declined to be named.
It is learnt that, at the meeting, it was also decided that a total of one hour would be allotted for discussion on the Bills and that the Chief Minister, Suvendu Adhikari, would himself participate in the discussion.
The Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Ritabrata Banerjee, is also scheduled to participate in the discussion.
The development, according to political observers, is in line with the promise made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his addresses at successive campaign rallies ahead of the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly polls, where he committed to enforcing the UCC in West Bengal.
Another important Bill that will be placed on the floor of the Assembly on Monday is titled "The West Bengal Public Safety & Control of Anti-Social Activities Bill, 2026", which seeks to address anti-social activities in the state.
The proposed legislation differs from the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, in two principal respects.
First, if a person is identified as a threat to public safety, the Bill, once enacted, would permit preventive detention for up to one year.
Second, it grants the state government the power to confiscate the property of a person involved in such offences by invoking the relevant provisions of the BNS.
— IANS
Reader Comments
As a woman, I support UCC in principle, but I'm worried about the implementation. Personal laws are deeply tied to religious sentiments. Rushing this without proper consultation could create more divisions than unity. Also, can't help but notice the timing - right after elections? 🤔
Excellent move by the West Bengal government. Uniform Civil Code is what the founding fathers envisioned for a modern India. The 'secular' tag makes sense only when we treat all citizens equally under law. Proud of Suvendu Adhikari for taking this forward.
The Preventive detention for upto 1 year in the other Bill is concerning. We are already seeing misuse of similar laws elsewhere. UCC is welcome, but giving unchecked power to confiscate property and detain without trial is a recipe for disaster. Need judicial oversight.
Interesting to see West Bengal joining Uttarakhand, Gujarat, and Assam on UCC. This is how federalism should work - states experimenting and setting examples. Hope the Bill is well-drafted and protects minority rights while ensuring gender justice. Balanced approach needed.
One hour discussion for such an important Bill? That's a joke! The UCC impacts every citizen's life - marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption. It deserves proper debate with inputs from legal experts, religious leaders, and civil society. Rushing it through shows lack of seriousness. 😤
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