West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday announced that the government is moving ahead with the rollout of Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state, with a draft Bill set to be placed before the Cabinet on July 2. Adhikari stated that the proposed legislation will draw from the Uniform Civil Code models already introduced in Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Assam.
Addressing the Assembly, the Chief Minister said the proposed legislation would establish a common civil framework governing matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption, irrespective of religion. He, however, clarified that indigenous and tribal communities would be kept completely outside the ambit of the law. "We will discuss the draft UCC Bill in the Cabinet on July 2. Tribals will not be included in it. The committee formed will submit its report, following which the Bill will be placed in the Assembly."
To facilitate the drafting process, the state government has constituted a high-powered committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai. The panel has been tasked with examining the existing personal laws applicable in West Bengal and studying nine key legal issues before submitting its recommendations within four weeks. Once the committee submits its report, the government plans to introduce the Bill during the Assembly's August session.
Responding to criticism from the Opposition, Adhikari maintained that while political parties were free to express their disagreement, his government remained committed to moving forward with the legislation.
Ahead of the Bill's introduction, West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya reiterated that constitutionally protected tribal communities would remain exempt from the proposed law. "The BJP's position on the UCC is longstanding and unequivocal. It is part of our political commitment and election manifesto," Bhattacharya said in a post on X. He also dismissed claims that the proposed legislation was linked to population control or family-size regulations, asserting that such provisions were "neither the objective nor a part of the UCC".
Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress criticised the move, accusing the BJP-led state government of using the proposed legislation as a political tool rather than pursuing genuine legal reform.
If enacted, West Bengal will become one of the few states to introduce a state-level Uniform Civil Code, following Uttarakhand, while adopting elements of similar legislative frameworks proposed in Gujarat and Assam.
