Gujarat has become the second state in India to get approval to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) after President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the legislation.
The Gujarat government will announce the rules for the UCC, after which the law will come into effect in the state.
The Gujarat Assembly passed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill in March after a marathon seven-and-a-half-hour discussion, making Gujarat the second state after Uttarakhand to pass such legislation.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said the UCC provides equal rights to everyone, while the Opposition called the legislation “anti-Muslim” and alleged that the government passed it for electoral gain.
The Bill proposes a common legal framework to govern marriage, divorce, succession and live-in relationships irrespective of religion. However, before the Bill could be passed by voice vote, the Congress staged a walkout and demanded that the Speaker refer it to a Select Committee.
“This Bill has been introduced for the sisters and daughters of Gujarat. The state has taken a step towards accelerating the pace of a developed India by 2047 through the UCC. This bill ensures that no community is discriminated against. It does not take away anyone's rights or restrict anyone's freedom,” CM Patel said.
The Opposition, however, said the Bill addresses only communal issues and serves the ruling party’s political interests. Opposition leaders alleged that the government fast-tracked the legislation to tackle anti-incumbency against the BJP ahead of the local body elections.
Opposing the Uniform Civil Code Bill, Gujarat Congress MLA Imran Khedawala told media, “This Bill is against our society and will not benefit us. We believe in the Quran and Sharia, which is why we are opposing the Bill. If the government is concerned about Muslim women, it should provide justice to Bilkis Bano and take action against the welcome given to her accused.”
AAP MLA Chatar Vasavane told India Today TV that the government brought the Bill solely for its electoral interests. He also said there was no clarity about the status of tribal communities under the new UCC.
“Some clarity is essential. The government has not clarified which laws will apply to tribal women who marry into other communities,” he added.
Uttarakhand became the first state in the country to implement the Uniform Civil Code in February 2024. The implementation of the Uniform Civil Code was also one of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s top promises in its 2022 Uttarakhand Assembly election manifesto.
