Overview
- The BJP-led state government is set to table a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill in the West Bengal Assembly on Monday, opening formal debate on replacing religion-based personal laws.
- State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya has publicly said the proposed code will not apply to members of any Scheduled Tribes and has denied that it would regulate family size.
- Opposition parties and minority representatives have warned the move could infringe community rights and said they will oppose the Bill in the Assembly and pursue legal remedies.
- Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari says Bengal will follow the procedure used in Gujarat, Uttarakhand and Assam, including forming a committee headed by a sitting judge to guide drafting.
- The UCC would replace separate laws on marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption under Article 44’s ideal of a common civil code, a change that could reshape everyday family law and trigger court challenges and wider political debate.