Bengal govt to table Uniform Civil Code Bill in Assembly next week
The BJP government in West Bengal is expected to introduce a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill in the Assembly next week, moving to fulfil a key promise made during the state election campaign.
The Suvendu Adhikari-led BJP government in West Bengal is expected to table a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill in the state Assembly next week, marking a significant step towards implementing one of the party's key electoral promises.
A Uniform Civil Code seeks to replace religion-based personal laws with a common set of rules governing matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption and succession for all citizens, irrespective of their faith.
If enacted, West Bengal would become the fourth BJP-ruled state after Independence that has moved towards a common civil code. Uttarakhand became the first state to pass a UCC law in February 2024, while Gujarat and Assam subsequently introduced similar legislation earlier this year.
Implementing the UCC was a major plank of the BJP's campaign in the West Bengal Assembly polls. During the release of the party's 'Sankalp Patra', Union Home Minister Amit Shah had promised that a UCC would be introduced within six months of the BJP coming to power in the state.
The BJP swept to power in West Bengal for the first time, ending the Trinamool Congress's 15-year rule by winning 207 of 293 seats declared in the Assembly polls. Its tally later rose to 208 after the party won the Falta Assembly repoll. The TMC was reduced to just 80 seats.
The Suvendu Adhikari-led BJP government in West Bengal is expected to table a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill in the state Assembly next week, marking a significant step towards implementing one of the party's key electoral promises.
A Uniform Civil Code seeks to replace religion-based personal laws with a common set of rules governing matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption and succession for all citizens, irrespective of their faith.
If enacted, West Bengal would become the fourth BJP-ruled state after Independence that has moved towards a common civil code. Uttarakhand became the first state to pass a UCC law in February 2024, while Gujarat and Assam subsequently introduced similar legislation earlier this year.
Implementing the UCC was a major plank of the BJP's campaign in the West Bengal Assembly polls. During the release of the party's 'Sankalp Patra', Union Home Minister Amit Shah had promised that a UCC would be introduced within six months of the BJP coming to power in the state.
The BJP swept to power in West Bengal for the first time, ending the Trinamool Congress's 15-year rule by winning 207 of 293 seats declared in the Assembly polls. Its tally later rose to 208 after the party won the Falta Assembly repoll. The TMC was reduced to just 80 seats.
