Bengal UCC implementation to follow U’khand, Guj, Assam process: CM
Times of India | 27 June 2026
Kolkata: Bengal will follow the procedure adopted in Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Assam for implementation of the Uniform Civil Code where retired judges headed committees that sought public and stakeholder feedback, CM Suvendu Adhikari said on Friday, adding that the govt will constitute a committee headed by a retired judge to examine existing personal laws and draft a comprehensive code.
“The UCC will be implemented in Bengal. There is a prescribed procedure for it, and I will explain it in the assembly. A committee will be constituted under the leadership of a retired judge. The process will be carried out following the same procedure adopted in Gujarat, Uttarakhand and Assam,” the CM said.
Parliamentary affairs minister Shankar Ghosh said all procedural steps for introducing the West Bengal UCC Bill, 2026, were underway.
BJP had promised to implement UCC in its election manifesto, replacing religion-based personal laws governing marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption with a common legal framework.
Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Assam each constituted committees headed by retired judges before moving ahead with their UCC initiatives. All three committees invited public opinion and all legislations exempt Scheduled Tribes from the UCC ambit.
Former Supreme Court justice Asok Kumar Ganguly said the apex court had, in several judgments, called for implementation of a UCC. He said a common code would provide a uniform legal framework for matters such as divorce, maintenance and probate, and would end polygamy.
Opposition parties criticised the move. Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra questioned the govt’s intent, alleging that the proposal could be aimed at religious polarisation and raising concerns about its impact on minorities, tribals and personal laws.
“We are very concerned about the intent of the bill, and we believe it is being brought only for polarisation,” Moitra added.
Congress’s Bengal president Shubhankar Sarkar said his party would oppose the legislation, arguing that a law of such significance should be preceded by consultations with all communities.
“We will certainly oppose UCC. India is a diverse country and its diversity must be respected. A single law may be good in principle, but requires support from all. Politics is a numbers game. While statistics may favour one side, healthy debate and discourse remain essential,” Sarkar added.