Picture Credit : @Bhupendrapbjp/X
The Gujarat assembly has passed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill after a marathon debate of more than seven hours, with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party hailing it as a landmark reform to ensure equality, while the Congress vehemently opposed it saying it violates fundamental right and was ‘anti-Muslim’.
The bill, which proposes a common legal framework to govern marriage, divorce, succession and live-in relationships irrespective of religion, was passed with majority voice vote as opposition Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) did not approve it and demanded that it be sent to the select committee.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel tabled the bill earlier in the day, a week after a state-appointed panel submitted its final report on implementation of the UCC.
With the passage of the bill, BJP-ruled Gujarat became the second state in the country after Uttarakhand to pass the UCC. Uttarakhand became the first state to pass a UCC Bill in February 2024.
Titled the ‘Gujarat Uniform Civil Code, 2026’, the proposed law will extend to the entire state and also apply to residents of Gujarat living outside its territorial limits.
However, the bill document states that the code will not apply to members of Scheduled Tribes (ST) and certain groups whose customary rights are protected under the Constitution.
The ‘Objects and Reasons’ of the bill say the code aims to create a uniform legal framework.
Among other things, it provides for registration of live-in relationships, as well as their termination through a formal declaration.
The bill also prohibits bigamy, meaning a person cannot enter into a second marriage while their spouse is alive. It states that a marriage is considered valid under the code only if neither party has a living spouse at the time of marriage.
