The Congress leaders in Assam on Monday slammed the state government after it itroduced the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), Assam, 2026 Bill in the state assembly, proposing a ban on polygamy and making registration of live-in relationships mandatory.
The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President Jakir Hussain Skidar alleged the move was part of the BJP's political agenda and noted that political parties in the state should have been consulted before the bill was introduced.
"We already asked why it is needed. The parties of Assam should have been consulted, which was not done. UCC is a political agenda of the BJP. How will it benefit the Assamese public?" Sikdar told ANI.
Congress MLA AK Rasheed Alam said the contents of the proposed legislation needed to be examined before any conclusion could be drawn.
Meanwhile, BJP MLA Biswajit Daimary expressed confidence over the legislation.
"It has been introduced, and it should be passed in this session itself. After this, it will be implemented in the state," Daimary told ANI.
Assam Parliamentary Affairs Minister Atul Bora tabled the Bill on behalf of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
The Bill is expected to be taken up for discussion and passage on May 27.
According to the state government, Scheduled Tribes (Hills), and Scheduled Tribes (Plain) will remain outside the purview of the UCC, with 'Traditional religious customs, practices and rituals' also being exempted.
Chief Minister Sarma had earlier said the legislation primarily addresses four areas -- minimum age of marriage, prohibition of polygamy, equal rights for daughters in parental property, and matters related to live-in relationships.
If passed, Assam will become the third state in the country, after Uttarakhand and Gujarat, to enact a UCC law.
(With inputs from ANI)