Rajasthan UCC Bill tabled in Assembly amid Congress walkout, BJP sloganeering
Synopsis
Rajasthan's ruling BJP tabled the Uniform Civil Code Bill on 21 August even as Congress MLAs stormed the Well, traded slogans with BJP legislators, and walked out at 1:21 pm — leaving the government free to steer its most politically charged legislation through an opposition-less House.
Key Takeaways
The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill was tabled in the Rajasthan Assembly on 21 August by Law Minister Jogaram Patel .
Congress MLAs walked out at 1:21 pm , boycotting proceedings after the Speaker declined to allow their issues during Question Hour.
Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully alleged Congress MLAs were stopped at the Assembly gate; the government attributed this to the alleged presence of outsiders.
The Assembly was adjourned twice — until noon and then until 1 pm — before the Bill was formally introduced.
The Bill will be debated in subsequent sittings and then put to a vote, with the BJP holding a working majority in the House.
The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill was tabled in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly on Friday, 21 August amid sustained protests, counter-sloganeering, and a dramatic walkout by Congress MLAs during the second day of the Monsoon Session. Parliamentary Affairs and Law Minister Jogaram Patel formally introduced the Bill in the House, which is expected to be taken up for debate before being put to a vote.
How the Disruptions Unfolded
Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully triggered the early confrontation by raising two contentious issues: the alleged stopping of Congress MLAs at the Assembly gate, and a reported assault on Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) activists who had gone to inspect government schools. The Speaker declined to allow either issue during Question Hour.
Congress MLAs then entered the Well of the House, raised slogans against the state government, and displayed posters labelling it a 'fugitive' administration. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators retaliated with slogans targeting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, calling him a 'fugitive' and a 'thief'. The Assembly was adjourned twice — first until noon, then until 1 pm.
UCC Bill Tabled Amid the Commotion
When the House reconvened at 1 pm, protests resumed without pause. Minister Patel nonetheless tabled the UCC Bill amid the uproar. At 1:21 pm, Congress MLAs announced a boycott and walked out of the chamber. The Assembly continued its proceedings in their absence.
The Bill will be debated in subsequent sittings before being put to a vote. Its passage would make Rajasthan one of the few states to enact a Uniform Civil Code, following Uttarakhand, which became the first state to pass such legislation.
What the Government Said
Minister Patel accused the Congress of being a 'murderer of democracy' and said the party lacked substantive issues to raise. After the walkout, he alleged that internal differences within the Congress were the real driver of the disruption, claiming the uproar was deliberately engineered to prevent the Leader of the Opposition from gaining political credit.
Government Chief Whip Jogeshwar Garg alleged that Congress MLAs had brought outsiders and 'anti-social elements' to the Assembly premises on Thursday, which he said was the reason they were stopped at the gate. Patel also accused the Opposition of staging an 'improper protest' the previous day and making misleading statements to the media.
What the Opposition Said
Jully maintained that the Opposition was being systematically prevented from raising issues of public concern. He objected to the government's attempt to push through legislative business — including the UCC Bill — while, according to him, pressing public grievances were being sidelined. The Speaker had earlier asked Congress members to allow the Finance Department grants to be passed before raising other matters.
What Happens Next
With Congress absent, the government retains a comfortable majority to steer the Bill through debate and vote. The timeline for the debate has not been formally announced. Civil society groups and legal experts are expected to scrutinise the Bill's provisions closely, particularly its implications for personal law across communities in Rajasthan.
Point of View
Not an administrative accident. By pressing ahead while Congress MLAs were in the Well and then absent, the government ensures the Bill's passage without the friction of a structured opposition debate — which also means without a public record of substantive legislative scrutiny. The Congress walkout, meanwhile, hands the BJP exactly the optics it wants: an opposition that 'fled' rather than argued. Rajasthan's UCC will now move to a vote with the loudest dissent registered outside the chamber, not inside it — a pattern that weakens accountability regardless of one's view on the Bill's merits.
NationPress
21 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the UCC Bill tabled in the Rajasthan Assembly?
The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill is legislation introduced in the Rajasthan Assembly on 21 August by Law Minister Jogaram Patel. It seeks to establish a common set of civil laws governing personal matters — such as marriage, divorce, and inheritance — across all religious communities in the state.
Why did Congress MLAs walk out of the Rajasthan Assembly?
Congress MLAs walked out at 1:21 pm on 21 August after the Speaker declined to allow them to raise two issues during Question Hour: the alleged stopping of their members at the Assembly gate, and a reported assault on CJP activists inspecting schools. They announced a formal boycott of proceedings.
Who introduced the UCC Bill in the Rajasthan Assembly?
Parliamentary Affairs and Law Minister Jogaram Patel introduced the UCC Bill in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly on 21 August during the Monsoon Session.
What happens next with the Rajasthan UCC Bill?
The Bill is expected to be taken up for debate in subsequent sittings before being put to a vote. With Congress having walked out, the BJP-led government holds a working majority and is positioned to pass the legislation without significant opposition inside the House.
What did the BJP allege about the Congress disruption?
Minister Jogaram Patel alleged that internal differences within the Congress, not genuine public grievances, were behind the disruption, and that the uproar was staged to deny the Leader of the Opposition political credit. Government Chief Whip Jogeshwar Garg separately alleged that Congress MLAs had brought outsiders and 'anti-social elements' to the Assembly premises the previous day.
