File photo of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
| Photo Credit: ANI
West BengalChief MinisterSuvendu Adhikari on Sunday (October 4, 2026) said his government would bring stringent laws against “love jihad”, “land jihad” and religious conversion after the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) was implemented in the State.
“UCC will be implemented in West Bengal soon, I am giving my word, give me only six months. After that, we will bring stringent laws against ‘love jihad’, ‘land jihad’ and religious conversion,” Mr. Adhikari said while addressing an event in Kolkata to mark the birth centenary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s former president, the late Ashok Singhal.
The people of West Bengal had elected a nationalist government with a lot of hopes after 50 years, and his government would fulfil the aspirations of the people, the Chief Minister said.
The previous Trinamool Congress (TMC) government had divided people on grounds of caste and communities, the BJP leader said. “This government will not allow any anti-national activity here,” he said, urging people to remain united and vigilant against “divisive forces”.
Mr. Adhikari listed a series of upcoming events, including a recital of the Hanuman Chalisa by 20,000 people at the Netaji Indoor Stadium in November, and a mass recital of the Bhagavad Gita by 10 lakh people on December 29, 2026. His government had started preparations for the Gangasagar Mela early next year, which would have facilities comparable with international standards, he added.
In July 2026 the West Bengal government constituted a high-level committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai to examine a draft UCC for the State.
The committee was formed in view of “wide ramifications and voluminous nature of the subject domain of the proposed legislation”, a notification issued by the State government said.
The State government has already formulated a Draft Bill titled ‘The Uniform Civil Code, West Bengal, 2026’, with a view to putting in place a comprehensive legal framework for all citizens who are residents of the State, “irrespective of religion, faith or community, concerning critical aspects of personal civil matters such as marriage, divorce, intestate succession and testamentary succession”.
The BJP leadership had promised the implementation of the UCC in the State during its campaign for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election. Mr. Adhikari had on June 29 informed the West Bengal Assembly that the UCC would be implemented in the State soon, and referred to the setting up of a committee headed by Justice Desai to examine the draft UCC Bill. The State Cabinet approved the constitution of the committee on July 2, and the notification was published on July 10.
Published – October 04, 2026 04:08 pm IST
