Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Saugata Roy on Tuesday reiterated the party's opposition to the proposed implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in West Bengal, arguing that it would interfere with the personal laws of minority communities and hurt their religious beliefs.
Roy accused the BJP of attempting to give the issue a communal colour and said the TMC would oppose any move to introduce the UCC in the state, ANI reported, citing an exclusive interaction.
"We have always opposed the Uniform Civil Code. This is an effort by the BJP government to communalise the issue," Roy said, adding that the proposed law would affect the personal laws of Muslims and Christians relating to marriage, divorce and succession.
Roy said the TMC had backed the abolition of triple talaq but did not support the UCC. "The minority communities have followed their personal laws for generations. Removing them will hurt their religious beliefs, which is why we oppose the UCC," he said.
Referring to recent developments in West Bengal, Roy said the state government had earlier indicated that it would move ahead with the UCC but had instead announced the formation of a committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Desai to examine the issue. He said the TMC's stand against the UCC would remain unchanged irrespective of the committee's deliberations.
Roy also questioned the rationale behind removing certain Muslim communities from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) list, describing the move as unfair. He said the communities had been included in the OBC category to address economic deprivation and alleged that taking away those benefits without consulting the High Court or the Backward Classes Commission was unjust.
His remarks came a day after the West Bengal Legislative Assembly passed the West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Bill, 2026, and the West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
During the Assembly debate on Monday, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced that the state would set up a committee under Justice Desai to prepare a roadmap for implementing the UCC. He said a draft legislation would be placed before the state cabinet on July 2. According to ANI, the committee will examine the framework for the proposed law before the draft is finalised.
