MP: UCC Bill passage sparks BJP-Congress clash

Bhopal, July 21 (IANS) The passage of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly on Tuesday triggered a fresh confrontation between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress, with both parties presenting sharply contrasting views.

Leading the BJP’s response, state party president and MLA Hemant Khandelwal hailed the Bill as a “historic” step, saying Chief Minister Mohan Yadav’s government had created history by implementing the UCC in the state.

Congratulating the Chief Minister after the Bill was passed, Khandelwal said the legislation would strengthen social justice, equality, and constitutional values while ensuring greater security and equal rights for women. He maintained that the law would establish a uniform legal framework for all citizens, promote social harmony, and strengthen governance.

He also said mandatory registration of live-in relationships within one month, along with penal provisions for violations, would bring greater legal clarity. At the same time, he emphasised that the tribal community had been kept outside the ambit of the law and its customs and traditions would remain unaffected.

Khandelwal asserted that the legislation would remove inequalities arising from different personal laws and particularly strengthen women's rights.

The Congress, however, strongly opposed the legislation, alleging that the BJP government was using the UCC to advance the ideological agenda of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) while diverting attention from pressing issues.

Leader of the Opposition Umang Singhar, who led a symbolic protest by Congress MLAs in the Assembly premises, accused the government of ignoring farmers’ distress, unemployment, crimes against women, education, and healthcare.

“The BJP government is sleeping over the real issues of the people. Instead of discussing farmers, unemployed youth, inflation, education, and healthcare, it is trying to divert attention by raising issues like the UCC,” Singhar said.

He alleged that the government had hurriedly pushed the legislation to shift focus away from the state’s challenges.

The UCC Bill dominated proceedings on the second day of the Monsoon Session of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly and was passed after heated exchanges between the treasury and opposition benches, further intensifying the political battle between the BJP and the Congress.

--IANS

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