The 126-member Assam Assembly on Wednesday (May 27, 2026) passed The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, 2026, which proposes a common civil framework governing marriage, divorce, inheritance, and live-in relationships in the State.
The Bill was passed by voice vote with the support of MLAs from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies, while three Opposition parties—Congress, Raijor Dal, and Trinamool Congress—opposed it.
The legislation, the third such law after similar enactments in Uttarakhand and Gujarat, excludes the Scheduled Tribes (STs), who constitute 12.45% of Assam’s population (according to the 2011 Census).
Arguing in favour of the Bill, members of the ruling parties said it would empower and honour women.
Opposition members argued that the legislation was unnecessary and had been introduced without consulting the minority organisations. Suggesting amendments, they pointed out that excluding STs from its purview did not make the UCC ‘uniform’. The opposition parties also demanded that the proposed legislation be referred to a Select Committee for detailed examination.
Defending the legislation, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma accused the Congress of being indifferent to Hindu sentiments.
Explained | The Uniform Civil Code
“The Congress is worried about how the Bill will affect practices followed under the Quran and Shariat, but it did not mention the Bhagavad Gita or Ramayana once, indicating that the party represents just one community,” he said, referring to the BJP’s electoral promise to bring the UCC if voted to power in the April 9 elections.
Pointing out that Goa has had a UCC since 1961, when it was under Portuguese rule, the Chief Minister said the Congress supported such legislation twice before India attained independence, first in 1925 and then in 1937 through a committee headed by Jawaharlal Nehru.
“The passing of this law in Assam will be a big step towards gender justice,” he said. Explaining why STs have been kept out of the purview of the UCC, he said, “They have been excluded as a mark of respect and because their age-old customary laws have rules and regulations similar to the UCC,” adding that applying the legislation on STs would be akin to treating people who have no ailments.
“The new law provides mandatory registration of all marriages, divorces and live-in relationships, bans polygamy, ensures equal succession rights for sons and daughters and for elderly parents. It also acts against so-called ‘love jihad’ by ensuring that marriages and live-in relationships do not happen through coercion or deception,” the Chief Minister said.
He added that Article 44 of the Constitution, one of the Directive Principles of State Policy, advocates a UCC.
Opposing the legislator, Congress Legislature Party leader Wazed Ali Choudhury said enforcing the UCC would infringe upon personal liberties and create social and religious tensions in a diverse country like India. He argued that existing laws related to polygamy, child marriage, and other issues touched by the UCC ensure women’s empowerment.
All India United Democratic Front MLA Mazibur Rahman said the UCC would violate the fundamental rights and existing legal provisions guaranteed to all citizens, including Assam’s 34.22% Muslims.
Before staging a walkout, Trinamool Congress MLA Sherman Ali Ahmed said that some provisions of the law, including banning triple talaq and registration of live-in relationships, were acceptable. “However, there is a clear violation of the Quran’s guidelines related to certain marriage practices as it tries to control whom one should marry, and it violates fundamental rights. I have reasons to believe that the UCC was brought in with malicious intent,” he said.
Raijor Dal MLA Akhil Gogoi warned that the Bill could allow surveillance of people’s private lives. “There is a scope for harassment by the authorities,” he said.
Published – May 27, 2026 03:56 pm IST
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