- The BJP government plans to discuss UCC draft bill in Bengal cabinet on July 2
- A committee headed by Justice Ranjana Desai will study the laws for four weeks
- Tribal communities will be excluded from the proposed Uniform Civil Code
The new BJP government of West Bengal has declared that it will move ahead on the Uniform Civil Code but after due diligence. Amid speculation that the bill will be introduced today, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said: "We will discuss the draft UCC bill in the cabinet on July 2. Tribals will not be included in it. A committee formed will give its report and then the bill will be placed in the assembly."
"In August, we will accept the recommendations of this committee and bring the draft bill for UCC. If there's any disagreement or complaint, it will be submitted to the chairperson of the committee," the Chief Minister added.
The government has formed a committee comprising retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Desai as its chairperson, a retired IAS officer, legal expert, a social worker, one educationist and additional secretary general as the members.
This task force will conduct a comprehensive study of the various personal family laws prevailing in the state including provisions related to marriage, divorce, succession, adoption, and live-in-relationships, within four weeks.
West Bengal is set to become the fourth state in the country to have Uniform Civil Code.
Even as the Opposition camps appear set to oppose the Bill, the outcome of voting remains uncertain after a sharp split in the Trinamool Congress, the largest opposition party in the Legislative Assembly.
While the UCC was a promise mentioned in the BJP manifesto, the party's move to form a committee is seen as a deliberate slowdown. Many say the government doesn't seem to be in a haste to pass this law, which is expected to spark a political row. When Mamata Banerjee was the Chief Minister, she had refused to implement it in the state.
"We will deliver the UCC promise, based on the UCC laws of Gujarat, Assam and Uttarakhand. We won't allow two laws based on religion. But Kurmis, adivasis and those communities who have their roots in our history," Adhikari said today.
Trinamool MLA Kunal Ghosh, one of the few Mamata Banerjee loyalists, said: "Regarding the UCC, the Chief Minister has made a statement today. The draft bill is to be presented to the cabinet, and a committee is to be formed. Our leadership is overseeing this entirely. The Chief Minister has said that if anyone has anything to say, they can speak before the committee, everyone's views should be considered, and any new rule should ideally be adopted unanimously."
