Photo Courtesy: northeasttoday
Guwahati: Opposition members in the Assam Assembly are pushing back against the Uniform Civil Code, Assam, 2026 Bill, labeling the legislation a political agenda for the ruling BJP. During a debate on Wednesday, legislators argued that the government should pause the bill to allow for broader public and religious consultations.
Congress Legislature Party leader Wajed Ali Choudhury challenged the necessity of the bill, noting that existing laws already govern marriage, divorce, alimony, and polygamy. He argued that the new legislation would complicate legal processes rather than simplify them, and he criticized the government for intervening in personal matters while ignoring more urgent issues like unemployment and flooding.
A significant point of contention involves the bill's scope. Because the proposed law explicitly excludes Scheduled Tribes, opposition members questioned the validity of the term uniform. Congress MLA Jakir Hussain Sikdar pointed to the 2018 Law Commission report, which suggested that a UCC was unnecessary without extensive stakeholder engagement. He noted that the government failed to consult with religious and social groups before introducing the measure.
To address potential constitutional concerns, Congress MLA Nurul Huda moved an amendment to include all tribes and communities under the bill, citing legal protections against discrimination. AIUDF MLA Mazibur Rahman echoed these sentiments, warning that the bill could infringe upon minority rights already protected under existing personal laws. Despite these objections, the government maintains the bill is intended to create a common framework for marriage, succession, and live-in relationships, with proposed penalties including up to seven years of imprisonment for bigamy.
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