Gujarat UCC Bill receives Presidential assent; BJP leaders call it "fulfilment of promise"

According to the Chief Minister's Office, the Bill covers key areas including marriage, divorce, live-in relationships, maintenance and inheritance, and seeks to provide equal rights and legal safeguards for women.

Speaking to ANI, BJP leader Mrityunjay Tiwari said, "This was a resolution of the Gujarat government. The Gujarat government has fulfilled its promise... Everyone knows that every pledge taken and every promise made to the public by the NDA government at the Centre is being fulfilled. Public trust in the Modi government at the Centre has grown."

Contrasting the BJP-led government's approach with that of the opposition, Tiwari, who earlier served as the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) spokesperson before joining the BJP, added,"We believe in fulfilling the promises made to the people, whereas the INDI Alliance merely seeks to hoodwink them. This difference is clearly visible."

Bihar BJP President Sanjay Saraogi said Gujarat has now become the second state after Uttarakhand to implement the UCC.

"The President of the country, Droupadi Murmu, has signed for the implementation of UCC in Gujarat... The Constitution gives equality to all. In politics, some people view equality through the lens of their vote bank. UCC is not against any religion... it gives equality to all," he said.

BJP leader and Allahabad West MLA Sidharth Nath Singh also backed the move. "This is a good thing; it ought to happen. India is governed by the Constitution... Gujarat has taken this step today; it is a positive move, and we commend the Gujarat government for it," he said.

This comes after President Droupadi Murmu granted formal assent to the Gujarat Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, 2026, paving the way for the legislation to take effect in the state. The Gujarat State Assembly passed this bill earlier this year in March.

The Chief Minister, Bhupendra Patel, while introducing the bill, said that the move reflects the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's idea of "Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat" (One India, Great India), emphasising that equal laws are essential for national unity and development.

Hailing the presidential assent granted to the bill in Gujarat, BJP Minority Morcha State President Syed Basha asserted that separate laws for different religions are no longer required, adding that every individual is equal in India.

Meanwhile, the Congress has criticised the enactment of the UCC, arguing that the government should have first consulted Gujarat's diverse communities before bringing the legislation to the Assembly

President of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee, Amit Chavda, said the state was facing several pressing socioeconomic issues, including unemployment, examination paper leaks, concerns over tribal rights, atrocities against Scheduled Castes and minorities, inflation and farmer suicides. He said the government was using the UCC to divert attention from these issues.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has asserted that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will be implemented across all 21 states governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) before 2029.

The UCC Bill has already been introduced and passed in three states: Gujarat in February 2024, Uttarakhand in March 2026 and Assam in May. (ANI)