‘Far From Gender Justice’: Owaisi Slams Assam’s UCC Bill 2026

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• Assam introduces Uniform Civil Code Bill for marriage, divorce, inheritance.
• Bill excludes Scheduled Tribes, sparking criticism from Asaduddin Owaisi.

The Assam government has introduced the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill 2026 in the state Assembly, proposing a common civil legal framework for marriage, divorce, inheritance and live-in relationships for residents of the state. However, the Bill clearly states that it will not apply to Scheduled Tribes (STs) residing in Assam in order to protect their constitutional safeguards.

Reacting sharply to the move, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi criticised the BJP-led government, alleging that the proposed law was neither truly “uniform” nor supportive of gender justice.

‘Assam UCC Is Not Uniform’: Owaisi

In a post on X, Owaisi said the Assam UCC excludes tribal communities entirely from its ambit, questioning why only the autonomy of tribal groups was being protected under Article 29 of the Constitution.

“Assam’s Uniform Civil Code is not uniform at all. It completely keeps tribal communities outside the scope of the UCC. Every community has the right to protect its culture under Article 29, so why is only the autonomy of tribal groups being safeguarded?” he said.

The Assam Uniform Civil Code is not uniform at all. It completely exempts tribal communities from UCC’s coverage. Every community has the right to protect its culture under Article 29, but why is only the tribals’ autonomy being protected? This is the imposition of a law that no…

— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) May 25, 2026

Owaisi further alleged that the law was being imposed despite lacking public support and claimed that the Constituent Assembly never envisioned a mandatory Uniform Civil Code.

‘Far From Gender Justice’

The AIMIM leader also criticised the inheritance provisions proposed under the Bill, arguing that they could deprive daughters of their rightful share in property.

“In Islam, no one can deprive an heir of inheritance rights. No person can write a will giving all property to only one son while excluding daughters. This UCC allows people to write wills that can deny daughters their due share. This law is far removed from gender justice,” Owaisi wrote.

What Does Assam UCC Bill Propose?

The proposed legislation seeks to replace religion-based personal laws with a uniform legal framework governing marriage, divorce, succession and live-in relationships across Assam. The government said the Bill aims to ensure equality, legal uniformity and gender justice among all communities.

The Bill makes monogamy mandatory and fixes the legal marriage age at 21 years for men and 18 years for women.

At the same time, it allows marriages to be conducted according to existing customs and religious traditions, including Vedic marriages, Ahom Chaklong, Saptapadi, Nikah, Holy Union and Anand Karaj ceremonies.

The legislation also proposes mandatory registration of all marriages and divorces across the state.