All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) Member of Parliament Saugata Roy on Sunday, 12 July reaffirmed his party's firm opposition to the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), warning that its implementation would strip minority communities of their personal law protections. His remarks followed the West Bengal government's decision to constitute a high-level committee to examine a draft UCC Bill for the state.

What Roy Said

Speaking to reporters, Roy said: “…We oppose the Uniform Civil Code because it will take away the rights of minority communities. Muslims follow Shariat law, while Christians have their own marriage laws, it won’t exist then. We do not support the UCC.”

The TMC MP’s remarks were a direct response to the state government’s move to set up a panel tasked with reviewing the draft legislation — a development that has sharpened political fault lines over the UCC in West Bengal.

The High-Level Committee Constituted

The West Bengal government on Saturday, 11 July announced the formation of a nine-member committee under the chairmanship of retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai to examine the draft UCC Bill. Justice Desai previously chaired the Election Commission of India’s delimitation panel, lending the committee significant legal credibility.

The panel’s other members include former Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy; Resident Commissioner and IAS officer Dushyant Nariala; retired IAS officer Shatrughna Singh; Principal Secretary of the Home Department Sanghamitra Ghosh; retired Bangabasi College Associate Professor Dr Ratna Bhattacharya; former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Gour Banga Gopal Chandra Mishra; Calcutta High Court advocate Osman Gani Mullick; and former Executive Director of Sambhag Nirmalya Bhattacharyya.

The committee has been tasked with reviewing the legal, administrative, and social dimensions of the proposed code before submitting its recommendations to the state government.

The Broader UCC Debate

The UCC has remained one of India’s most politically charged legislative proposals. Proponents argue that a uniform civil law would guarantee equality before the law regardless of religion, replacing a patchwork of personal laws governing marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption. Critics — including several opposition parties and minority community representatives — contend that it would override constitutionally protected religious freedoms and cultural practices.

Notably, Uttarakhand became the first state to enact a UCC in 2024, setting a precedent that has since intensified the national debate. West Bengal’s decision to constitute a review committee marks a significant, if cautious, step in a state where the ruling TMC has historically positioned itself as a defender of minority rights — making the move politically significant and somewhat unexpected.

Anubrata Mandal Row

Roy also commented on reports that senior TMC leader Anubrata Mandal had joined the party’s rebel camp. “We will see what he does. Anubrata received a lot of support from Didi, and she stood by him. Now it appears that he has also betrayed the party…” Roy said, signalling internal tensions within the TMC at a particularly sensitive political moment.

How the West Bengal government ultimately responds to the committee’s recommendations will be closely watched, both as a test of the ruling party’s internal coherence and as a bellwether for UCC politics ahead of the next state elections.