Madhya Pradesh fast-tracks UCC – but there’s some opposition

Addressing reporters in Bhopal Wednesday, Yadav said the UCC Bill would be introduced in the five-day session and expressed confidence that it would be passed. “The Uniform Civil Code bill will also be introduced in this session. With the blessings of Baba Mahakal, the UCC bill will be passed this session,” Yadav said.

The legislation is expected to regulate matters currently governed by separate personal laws, including marriage, divorce, maintenance, inheritance, adoption and live-in relationships.

The government has projected the proposed law as a measure aimed at ensuring legal uniformity and equality among citizens. Officials say the committee is gathering suggestions from stakeholders across districts and has been tasked with preparing a draft framework after studying existing personal laws as well as UCC models adopted in other states. The panel has also been asked to examine provisions relating to women’s rights, children’s welfare and the regulation of live-in relationships.

Yet the announcement has already triggered political opposition in a state where tribal communities account for more than a fifth of the population and enjoy constitutional protections over customary practices.

The Congress has accused the BJP of attempting to push through a sensitive social reform without adequate consultation. Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar and other Congress leaders have argued that a blanket UCC could undermine tribal customs, traditional inheritance systems and community practices protected under the Constitution. The party has demanded clarity on whether Scheduled Tribe communities will be exempted from the proposed law.

Tribal organisations have voiced similar concerns. Several Adivasi groups have warned that customary laws governing marriage, succession and social relations form an integral part of tribal identity and cannot be treated on par with general civil laws. Leaders have pointed to protections available under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution and the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA), arguing that any attempt to dilute these safeguards could provoke widespread resistance.

The political sensitivity of the issue is not lost on the BJP. Madhya Pradesh has one of the country’s largest tribal populations and 47 Assembly seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes, making the community a crucial electoral constituency. The government is therefore expected to face mounting pressure to clarify whether tribal communities will remain outside the ambit of the proposed law, as was done in Uttarakhand.

For Yadav, the UCC push is more than a legislative exercise. It is emerging as one of the defining political projects of his tenure and a test of his ability to translate the BJP’s national ideological agenda into state policy. Since taking office in December 2023, Yadav has largely focused on governance and welfare initiatives. The UCC, however, places him at the centre of a national debate that has long polarised political parties and social groups.

The timing is also significant. With the BJP enjoying a comfortable majority in the Assembly and seeking to consolidate its ideological credentials, the government appears keen to move quickly. The committee was originally given 60 days to submit its recommendations, but Yadav’s declaration that the Bill will be tabled in the monsoon session suggests the administration intends to fast-track the process.