The West Bengal BJP government's move to introduce the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill in the state Assembly on Monday, 26 June drew sharp opposition from the All India Muslim Jamaat and the Trinamool Congress (TMC), both of whom argued the legislation cannot take effect without the consent of the Muslim community. The pushback signals a fresh political flashpoint over the UCC ahead of what promises to be a contentious legislative debate.

Muslim Clerics Reject the Bill

Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi, President of the All India Muslim Jamaat, described the UCC as 'against the Constitution,' asserting that the foundational law permits implementation only after all communities agree. 'But in whichever states UCC has been implemented so far, it is one-sided,' he said. The cleric alleged the bill is being used to 'target the Muslims,' adding: 'The members of the community will keep following the Shariat law; no one can stop them.'

Trinamool Congress Cites Nehru's Assurance

TMC MP Saugata Roy echoed the opposition, invoking the legacy of late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who, he said, had assured the Muslim community that the UCC would not be enforced without the community's acceptance. Roy also pointed to Article 44 of the Directive Principles of State Policy, noting that the phrase 'the state shall endeavour' implies an aspiration rather than a mandate. 'It has been suddenly brought in,' he said, calling it the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) 'communal agenda' and labelling the party 'authoritarian.'

CPI-M Frames It as an Attack on Minorities

Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP Hannan Mollah went further, linking the bill to what he described as a decades-old ideological position. 'The RSS had decided nearly a century ago that Muslims were the enemies of India,' he alleged. 'Under this regime, there is no hope for the poor or for minorities,' he added, warning that the Muslim community would face compounding hardships. Mollah's remarks reflect the broader left-opposition narrative that frames the UCC as part of a majoritarian consolidation project.

BJP Defends the Move

BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal countered the criticism, calling the UCC 'a commitment of our government and the NDA.' He argued that without the UCC, citizens remain 'deprived of the right to equality.' Khandelwal also congratulated West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari for the decision to introduce the bill, signalling that the party views this as a milestone in its legislative agenda for the state.

What Comes Next

The bill's introduction in the West Bengal Assembly places the state among a small number that have moved on UCC legislation, following Uttarakhand's earlier passage of a similar law. The political battle lines are now clearly drawn — the ruling BJP on one side, and the TMC, CPI-M, and Muslim religious bodies on the other. Whether the bill clears the Assembly will depend on the arithmetic of the House, but the debate it triggers is expected to reverberate well beyond West Bengal.