Assam Assembly Passes Uniform Civil Code Bill 2026 Amid Heated Debate Over Women’s Rights and Religious Freedom

• By Thetripurapost Desk, Guwahati
• May 27, 2026
• 50

The 126-member Assam Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, passed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, 2026, introducing a common civil framework to regulate marriage, divorce, inheritance, and live-in relationships across the state.

The landmark Assam Uniform Civil Code Bill 2026 was passed through a voice vote with strong backing from MLAs of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its alliance partners, while Opposition parties including the Indian National Congress, Raijor Dal, and All India Trinamool Congress opposed the legislation.

The Assam UCC legislation becomes the third such law enacted in India after similar Uniform Civil Code laws were introduced in Uttarakhand and Gujarat.

According to the provisions of the Assam Uniform Civil Code Bill 2026, Scheduled Tribes (STs), who account for 12.45% of Assam’s population as per the 2011 Census, have been exempted from the purview of the law.

Supporting the Assam UCC Bill in the Assembly, ruling party legislators claimed that the legislation would strengthen gender justice, ensure equal rights, and empower women across communities.

However, Opposition MLAs strongly criticized the Bill, arguing that the legislation was introduced without adequate consultation with minority organizations and community stakeholders in Assam.

For more about the bill, visit Government of Assam

Opposition leaders also questioned the exclusion of Scheduled Tribes from the Uniform Civil Code framework, stating that such exemptions contradict the very concept of a “uniform” civil code. They further demanded that the Assam UCC Bill be referred to a Select Committee for comprehensive review and legal scrutiny.

Defending the controversial legislation, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma accused the Congress party of ignoring Hindu sentiments during the debate over 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,” the Chief Minister said while referring to the BJP’s election promise to implement the UCC after the April 9 Assembly elections.

Highlighting historical precedents, Himanta Biswa Sarma pointed out that Goa has followed a Uniform Civil Code since 1961 during Portuguese rule. He further stated that the Congress had earlier supported similar legal frameworks in 1925 and again in 1937 through a committee reportedly headed by Jawaharlal Nehru.

Calling the law a major reform initiative, the Assam Chief Minister said the passage of the UCC Bill would mark a significant step toward gender equality and women’s empowerment in the state.

Explaining the exemption granted to Scheduled Tribes, Sarma stated that the tribal communities were excluded out of respect for their traditional customary laws, which already contain provisions similar to those proposed under the Uniform Civil Code.

“They have been excluded as a mark of respect and because their age-old customary laws have rules and regulations similar to the UCC,” the Chief Minister said, adding that imposing the legislation on ST communities would be unnecessary.

The Assam Uniform Civil Code law introduces mandatory registration of marriages, divorces, and live-in relationships. The legislation also bans polygamy, guarantees equal inheritance and succession rights for sons and daughters, and ensures legal protection for elderly parents.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma further claimed that the law would act against alleged “love jihad” practices by preventing marriages and live-in relationships conducted through coercion, fraud, or deception.

The Chief Minister also cited Article 44 of the Indian Constitution, one of the Directive Principles of State Policy, which advocates the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code across India.

Opposing the Bill, Congress Legislature Party leader Wazed Ali Choudhury argued that enforcing the Uniform Civil Code could violate personal freedoms and trigger social and religious tensions in a diverse country like India.

He maintained that existing Indian laws related to child marriage, polygamy, and women’s rights were already sufficient to promote gender justice and women’s empowerment.

Meanwhile, All India United Democratic Front MLA Mazibur Rahman alleged that the Assam UCC law would violate constitutional rights and legal protections available to all citizens, including Assam’s 34.22% Muslim population.

Before staging a walkout from the Assembly, Trinamool Congress MLA Sherman Ali Ahmed said certain provisions such as the ban on triple talaq and mandatory registration of live-in relationships were acceptable.

However, he alleged that some sections of the law violated Quranic guidelines relating to marriage practices and interfered with citizens’ fundamental rights.

“I have reasons to believe that the UCC was brought in with malicious intent,” Sherman Ali Ahmed stated during the Assembly debate.

Raijor Dal MLA Akhil Gogoi also raised concerns over privacy and state surveillance, warning that some provisions of the Uniform Civil Code Bill could lead to harassment and unnecessary monitoring of citizens’ personal lives by authorities.

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