Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday said the state government would implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) by following a procedure similar to that adopted in Uttarakhand, Assam and Gujarat.
Addressing reporters in Kolkata, Adhikari said the government would first constitute a committee headed by a retired judge to examine the issue before moving ahead with the legislation.
“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. Following the same procedure adopted in Gujarat, Uttarakhand and Assam, the process will be carried out. I will provide further details in the Assembly on Monday,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) announced that it would oppose the proposed UCC legislation, alleging that it forms part of the BJP’s “communal agenda.”
The issue of implementing the Uniform Civil Code featured prominently during the West Bengal Assembly election campaign. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had promised that the BJP would introduce the UCC if voted to power in the state.
The BJP had also pledged to end what it described as “politics of appeasement” and asserted that it would not allow Bengalis to become a minority in the state. The commitment to implement the Uniform Civil Code was included in the party’s election manifesto.
