In West Bengal, Chief Minister Shubhendu Adhikari can present four bills (Backward Classes Commission Amendment Bill, two bills related to curbing extortion and goons and OBC Reservation Amendment Bill) in the Assembly as per the pre-determined schedule on Monday, but there is speculation whether a bill related to Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will be presented in the Assembly on Monday? There is a possibility that Shubhendu Adhikari will be in the assembly on Monday. ucc Can present a bill.
Less than two months after ending TMC’s 15-year rule in West Bengal, the BJP government is preparing to fulfill its most important and politically controversial promises in the Assembly on Monday, although opposition parties are opposing them.
The proposed law, which advocates creating a common civil framework governing marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption regardless of religion, and if the bill is introduced in the Bengal Assembly on Monday, West Bengal will become the fourth state in the country to pass this bill.
UCC knocks in Bengal
During the election campaign, BJP had emphasized that the same civil laws should apply to all citizens. Releasing the election manifesto, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had promised that the BJP government would implement UCC in West Bengal within six months of coming to power, calling it a step aimed at ensuring equality before law irrespective of religion.
The law seeks to replace religion-based personal law in matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, inheritance and adoption with a common legal framework applicable to all citizens, while maintaining the constitutional exemptions available to certain categories. Although the Union Home Minister had set a deadline of six months, the bill is set to be introduced just two months into the first term.
Chief Minister Shubhendu Adhikari on Friday hinted at formally introducing the UCC during the current session. He said that the way it (UCC) was implemented in Gujarat, Uttarakhand and Assam by following a process. Similarly, it will be implemented in West Bengal also. I will inform this to the Assembly on Monday.”
Tribal community will get exemption from UCC
His words provided the clearest indication yet that the BJP government wants to move forward quickly on one of its key election promises and model the framework for Bengal on the lines adopted in other BJP-ruled states.
Before the bill was introduced, state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya tried to address a key concern over the proposal, saying that constitutionally protected tribal communities would remain out of its purview.
Samik Bhattacharya said in a social media post on Saturday, “BJP’s position on UCC is old and clear. It is part of our political commitment and election manifesto.” He said that members of Scheduled Tribes recognized under Articles 366 (25) and 342 of the Constitution will be exempted from the proposed law and their customs, traditions and special rights will continue to be protected. Bhattacharya also rejected allegations that the proposed law seeks to regulate family size, saying such provisions are “neither the purpose of the UCC nor part of it.”
Clash over bill, opposition raised questions
However, opposition parties have described this issue as a legal question as well as a political question. At a strategy meeting with party MLAs and senior leaders on Friday, TMC chairperson and former chief minister Mamata Banerjee directed the party to strongly oppose the bill inside and outside the Assembly, arguing that the proposal raises larger questions about constitutional morality, social consensus and the pluralistic character of India.
At the same time, Mamata Banerjee’s TMC has opposed two bills related to curbing extortion and goons. According to this bill, any person can be kept in custody on this charge for one year. TMC has called it more stringent than UAPA and MISA and called it an attack on democracy.
If the Uniform Civil Code Bill is introduced, all opposition parties in the Assembly will oppose it. The rebel Trinamool camp, under the leadership of Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee, has decided to oppose the state government on this issue. Apart from this, Aam Janata Unnayan Party president and Nawda MLA Humayun Kabir, Domkal CPI(M) MLA Mustafizur Rahman Rana, Indian Secular Front MLA Naushad Siddiqui and two Congress MLAs have also decided to oppose the bill.
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