Assam Passes UCC Bill, Bans Polygamy; CM Says “Don’t View It As Anti-Muslim”

The Assam Legislative Assembly on Wednesday passed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, 2026, making Assam the first state in the Northeast and the third state in the country after Uttarakhand and Gujarat to enact a common civil law framework through its Assembly. The Bill was passed through a voice vote amid noisy protests from the opposition benches.

The legislation seeks to establish a common legal framework governing marriage, divorce, succession, inheritance and live-in relationships for all residents of Assam, irrespective of religion. However, the provisions of the law will not apply to Scheduled Tribes residing in the state.

One of the major provisions of the Bill is a complete ban on polygamy. The legislation also makes registration of live-in relationships mandatory. Failure to register a live-in relationship or submitting false declarations may attract penalties, including fines up to Rs 25,000. The Bill further proposes imprisonment ranging from three months to seven years for offences related to non-registration, bigamy and polygamy.

During the discussion in the House, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma clarified that the proposed law should not be viewed as anti-Muslim in nature. He stated that polygamy is not limited to the Muslim community and that people from Hindu and Christian communities also engage in such practices, both legally and illegally. The Chief Minister further said that maintaining a live-in relationship while already having a spouse was also unacceptable under the framework proposed by the government.

Hailakandi BJP MLA Milon Das also addressed the Assembly in support of the Bill. He thanked the House for giving him the opportunity to speak on the legislation and referred to the views of B. R. Ambedkar and J. B. Kripalani, stating that both leaders had strongly supported the idea of a Uniform Civil Code.

Das said the UCC was “not just a Bill but a social reformation”. He argued that the legislation would strengthen women’s rights, including equal rights over property, and would bring positive changes to society. He also said that even the opposition should support such reforms. However, he added that the ruling alliance held enough strength both at the Centre and in the state to ensure the Bill’s passage even without opposition support.

The passage of the Bill witnessed dramatic scenes inside the Assembly. Opposition members demanded that the legislation be referred to a select committee for wider public consultation. Assam Assembly Speaker Ranjeet Kumar Dass rejected the demand, following which opposition legislators moved to the Well of the House and continued shouting slogans during the proceedings.

Amid the protests, the Speaker put the Bill to a voice vote. Members of the ruling bench raised slogans of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Jai Shree Ram” as the Bill was passed without a headcount or formal division of votes being recorded.