West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday, 26 June announced that his government will introduce strong legislation to prevent forceful religious conversion and love jihad in the state. Adhikari, who is West Bengal's ninth Chief Minister, made the declaration while addressing a function marking the 189th birth anniversary of Rishi Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay — the author of India's national song, Vande Mataram.

Key Announcements by the Chief Minister

'West Bengal will move forward with the slogan of Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee as its guiding principle. Along with the Uniform Civil Code, the state government is going to bring strict laws against Land Jihad, Love Jihad and forced religious conversion,' Adhikari said at the event.

He further declared that anti-national forces would no longer find a foothold in the state. 'West Bengal will have no place for those who ridicule Operation Sindoor, insult the nation and remain silent during the Pahalgam attack,' he said.

Bills to Be Tabled on Monday

On Monday, five new Bills are set to be placed on the floor of the West Bengal Assembly. The two most significant among them will address the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and measures to curb anti-social activities in the state.

With the tabling of the UCC Bill, West Bengal is poised to become the fourth Indian state to replace religion-based personal laws with a unified civil code applicable to all citizens regardless of religion, caste, or tribe. The three states that have already adopted the UCC are Uttarakhand, Gujarat, and Assam.

Stance on Infiltrators and Refugees

Adhikari also outlined a firm position on illegal infiltration. 'We are committed to first sending illegal infiltrators to holding centres and from there to the place they came from,' he said.

However, he drew a clear distinction for refugees fleeing religious persecution, affirming that such individuals would be granted citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Historical and Political Context

Adhikari invoked the legacy of prominent Bengali icons — Chaitanya Dev, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, and Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee — to frame his government's ideological direction. He credited the people of West Bengal with having 'done half the work' of protecting the state from anti-national activities through the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly elections, pledging that his administration would complete the rest.

The announcements signal a sharp ideological shift in Bengal's political landscape, with the new government moving quickly to legislate on contentious issues that were central to its election campaign. The UCC Bill's introduction will be closely watched as a bellwether for how the state navigates religion, identity, and civil law in one of India's most politically complex states.