Assam Assembly Sees Heated Exchange Over UCC Draft

Guwahati: Political temperatures rose inside the Assam Assembly after the state government placed the Uniform Civil Code Bill, 2026 on the floor. Congress MLA Zubair Anam immediately criticised the draft, claiming multiple sections fall short of the equality principle the legislation claims to uphold. Speaking to the media, he said the opposition intends to dissect each contentious clause once debate begins. Fellow Congress legislators warned that the party would oppose any move seen as encroaching on minority religious customs. The BJP government, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, insists the new code will standardise personal laws governing marriage, divorce, succession, and adoption, thereby ensuring gender justice. Yet opposition benches fear that some provisions may erode community-specific rights. Sarma, posting on X, described the tabling as a historic step that allows the House to formally record why Assam needs the UCC and how it fulfils the ideals set by India’s founding leaders.