Kolkata, June 28: Less than two months after ending the TMC’s 15-year rule in West Bengal, the BJP government is likely to place before the Assembly one of its most consequential and politically contentious promises – the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill – triggering what is likely to be the first major ideological debate of the post-election era.
The proposed legislation, which seeks to establish a common civil framework governing marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption irrespective of religion, is expected to dominate the ongoing Budget session and set the stage for a wider debate over identity, equality, secularism, constitutional rights and the relationship between personal laws and state authority.
For the BJP government, which is likely to place the Bill before the assembly on Monday, represents the fulfilment of a core electoral commitment and an assertion of its long-standing position that all citizens should be governed by the same set of civil laws. For the opposition, it raises questions about social consensus, constitutional safeguards and whether a reform affecting diverse communities can be implemented without wider consultation.
The move comes well ahead of the six-month deadline promised by the BJP in its ‘Sankalp Patra’ ahead of the Assembly elections. While unveiling the manifesto, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had pledged that a BJP government would implement the UCC in West Bengal within six months of assuming office, projecting it as a measure aimed at ensuring equality before law irrespective of faith. (PTI)
