Guwahati, May 27: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched a sharp attack on Congress during discussions on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) bill in the Assam Assembly. He accused Congress of surrendering to “communal forces” and abandoning its constitutional legacy.
While participating in the debate before the UCC bill was passed, Sarma stated that the idea of a Uniform Civil Code is not exclusive to the BJP or the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He emphasized that it was also part of the vision of Congress leaders during the freedom movement.
Sarma remarked, “The efforts towards UCC did not originate from the BJP or RSS. During the freedom struggle, Congress leaders envisioned implementing a Uniform Civil Code in the country.”
He further claimed that today’s Congress is not the same as the one led by leaders like Rajendra Prasad and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. “The current Congress lacks the courage to speak on secularism,” he added.
The Chief Minister also accused Congress of prioritizing religious issues over constitutional principles while opposing the UCC bill. “Congress was supposed to represent the Constitution, but now the party only talks about Sharia and the Quran,” he stated.
Sarma highlighted that the Indian Constitution envisions the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code and that the framers hoped the country would gradually move towards a uniform civil framework. “The Constitution clearly directs that as the country progresses, it should move towards a Uniform Civil Code,” he said.
He further accused Congress of aligning with “communal forces” for political reasons in states like Assam and Kerala. According to him, Congress has lost the confidence to speak equally about all religions, limiting its politics to selective religious issues.
The BJP-led Assam government asserts that the proposed UCC is a step towards ensuring equality and uniform civil rights for all citizens, while Congress and other opposition parties have opposed several provisions of the bill.
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