MP Assembly passes UCC Bill amid protest by Congress

The Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Tuesday passed the ‘Madhya Pradesh Uniform Civil Code 2026 Bill’ by voice vote amid a noisy protest by the Opposition Congress.

Among other things, the bill bans polygamy and makes the registration of live-in relationships mandatory while excluding the tribal community from its scope.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, in his speech in the House, tore into the Congress for opposing the bill, and noted that Madhya Pradesh will be the fourth state in the country to implement the UCC after Goa, Assam, and Uttarakhand.

“Golden history is being written” in the Assembly as the UCC would criminalise triple talaq and the halala custom, prohibit polygamy, make the registration of both marriage and divorce mandatory, and give equal inheritance rights to all children, including biological or adopted children of married as well as unmarried parents, he said.

The Congress was opposing the bill only to appease the Muslims, he alleged. Terming the Opposition party as anti-tribal, he noted that the tribal community has been excluded from the scope of the bill.

Technical Education, Skill Development and Employment Minister Gautam Tetwal introduced the bill on Monday, the first day of the monsoon session. It was taken up for discussion on Tuesday.

At the outset, senior Congress MLA Arif Masood said that the bill contained numerous inconsistencies. The Union Government had failed to implement the Uniform Civil Code through Parliament despite the relevant bill remaining pending with the Law Commission for three years, he said.

The State UCC bill violated the fundamental rights related to culture and education, guaranteed under Article 29 of the Constitution, Masood said, introducing amendment proposals and urging Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar to refer the bill to a Select Committee.

However, the House rejected his proposals by voice vote.

Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar said that there was no need for a Uniform Civil Code in Madhya Pradesh at present. The 27 per cent reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) was more important, he said, backing Masood’s demand to refer the bill to a Select Committee.

Congress members then rushed to the well and started shouting slogans. Amid the uproar, Speaker Tomar passed the bill by voice vote after the chief minister’s reply. No Congress MLA participated in the discussion.

At the beginning of his speech, Chief Minister Yadav raised slogans including “Jo Hindu hit ki baat karega, vahi pradesh me raaj karega” (Whoever speaks for Hindu interests will rule the state), “Jai Shri Ram” and “Congress is anti-tribal.”

The fundamental spirit of the UCC bill was “Equality for All - Respect for All,” and it will prove beneficial for the 8.5 crore people of the state, Yadav said.

“It is not just our sentiment, but the sentiment of the entire country,” he said, adding that everyone, especially women, should have their rights.

Constitution makers BR Ambedkar and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel spoke of equality, but the Congress has always stabbed the people in the back, Yadav said.

“If Congressmen have even a little respect for Babasaheb (Ambedkar), they should absolve themselves of their sins by supporting the UCC. It was the Congress that created a uniform system for all based on the division of agricultural land in the assembly in 1959. Now, the Congress is opposing this very equality system,” Yadav said.

The chief minister also claimed that “76 per cent of Muslim mothers and sisters” and “40 per cent of Muslim brothers” supported the UCC before the committee formed to draft it.

“Due to the appeasement by Congressmen, mothers and sisters have suffered injustice. They had no means to seek justice. Prime Minister Modi gave rights to Muslim women by abolishing triple talaq....We are implementing the UCC to ensure that Amar, Akbar, Anthony, Robin and Rahim live according to the same law,” he said.

The UCC Bill mainly deals with marriage, inheritance, divorce, and live-in relationships, Yadav said. 

“Duties and rules are the same for everyone. The minimum age for marriage will be 18 and 21 years. Marriage registration will be mandatory. Only those who have married once (as opposed to polygamy) will be allowed to live in Madhya Pradesh,” he said.

“Only after divorce, a person will be able to live with a second life partner. No one will be able to issue arbitrary ‘talaq, talaq, talaq’.

Registration will also be required for live-in relationships,” Yadav added.

If someone cheats on their married partner and lives in a live-in relationship, they will be punished with a five-year sentence, the chief minister said.

“The UCC is a great opportunity to provide equal opportunities and justice to the people from all walks of life in the State. We have accepted unity in diversity, and similarly, this bill should be supported for the respect of women and social harmony. This is a bill that strengthens national unity and integrity,” he said.

Later, speaking to journalists, Yadav said that the people saw how the Congress opposed the bill for Muslim appeasement.

Asked about the Congress’ allegation that the BJP Government was implementing the agenda of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Yadav said, “...if the RSS agenda is nationalist, then we will do it not once but a hundred times.”

The bill will be sent to the President, and after receiving her assent, it will become the law, Yadav said.

“After the implementation of this law, people of all religions will live according to one law. No one will be able to practice triple talaq, ‘halala’, misuse live-in relationships, or claim ownership of anyone’s property (arbitrarily),” he added.