The passage of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, 2026 in the Assam Assembly turned into more than just a political debate over a controversial law. The final day of the first session of the 16th Assam Legislative Assembly also exposed what many observers described as the weak and unprepared role of the opposition, especially the Congress.
The UCC Bill, which deals with sensitive issues such as marriage, divorce, women’s rights, inheritance and social equality, was expected to witness serious and well-prepared discussion from both sides. While the ruling BJP strongly defended the bill as a step towards equality and women’s protection, the opposition struggled to present strong legal or constitutional arguments against it.
The biggest controversy during the debate came after Dhubri MLA Baby Begum opposed the bill while supporting provisions related to multiple marriages. Her remarks triggered sharp criticism inside the Assembly.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched a strong attack on several amendment proposals brought by opposition MLAs. He claimed some of the proposed changes suggested that a man should be allowed to marry again if his wife suffers from serious illness.
The Chief Minister said such proposals insult women and weaken the argument of the opposition. Although Baby Begum denied the allegation, the Chief Minister later read out parts of the amendment proposal inside the House.
The debate became more uncomfortable for the opposition after several MLAs failed to respond strongly to the government’s arguments. Congress MLA Wazed Ali Choudhury also faced criticism after reportedly remaining silent when invited by Speaker Ranjit Kumar Dass to speak further on the issue.
Young opposition MLA Tanzil Hussain was also criticised over what many described as inconsistent remarks during the discussion.
Adding to the political tension, the Chief Minister alleged that Congress leadership had prepared talking points for its MLAs to oppose the bill. When opposition members denied the allegation, he read out portions of the alleged instructions in the Assembly.
Before the bill was passed, Raijor Dal MLA Akhil Gogoi demanded that the bill be sent to a select committee for deeper review. However, the Assembly rejected the proposal and later passed the bill through voice vote.
As the bill was passed, Congress and Raijor Dal MLAs protested loudly inside the House and gathered near the Speaker’s chair, creating chaotic scenes in the Assembly.
Political observers believe the debate revealed a larger problem within the opposition camp. While opposing the UCC is a democratic right, critics say the opposition failed to present a mature, legally strong and issue-based challenge to the government on such an important matter.
Instead of focusing on constitutional, social and practical concerns surrounding the UCC, much of the opposition’s argument reportedly shifted towards emotional and controversial issues, allowing the ruling side to dominate the debate politically.
