After UCC, West Bengal will have laws against ‘love jihad’, ‘land jihad’, religious conversion: Suvendu Adhikari
File photo of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. | Photo credit: ANI
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday (Oct 4, 2026) said his government would introduce strict laws against “love jihad”, “land jihad” and religious conversion after the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is implemented in the state.
“UCC will be introduced in West Bengal soon, I give my word, just give me six months. After that we will introduce strict laws against ‘love jihad’, ‘land jihad’ and religious conversion,” Mr Adhikari said while addressing an event in Kolkata to mark the birth centenary of former Vishwa Hindu Parishad president, late Ashok Singhal.
The people of West Bengal have elected a nationalist government after 50 years with many hopes and his government will fulfill the aspirations of the people, the Chief Minister said.
The previous Trinamool Congress (TMC) government divided people on the basis of caste and communities, the BJP leader said. “This government will not allow any anti-national activities here,” he said, urging people to remain united and vigilant against “divisive forces”.
Mr. Adhikari listed a number of upcoming events, including a Hanuman Chalisa recital for 20,000 people at the Netaji Indoor Stadium in November and a mass Bhagavad Gita recital for 10,000 people on December 29, 2026. His government has started preparations for the Gangasagar Mela, adding that it will have facilities at par with international standards by early next year.
In July 2026, the West Bengal government constituted a high-level committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai to examine the UCC proposal for the state.
The committee was formed in view of the “broad implications and voluminous nature of the subject area of the proposed legislation”, a notification issued by the state government said.
The state government has already formulated a bill titled “Uniform Civil Code, West Bengal, 2026” to introduce a comprehensive legal framework for all citizens who are residents of the state “irrespective of religion, creed or community, relating to critical aspects of personal civil matters such as marriage, divorce, intestate succession and intestate succession”.
The BJP leadership had promised to implement the UCC in the state during its campaign for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. On 29 June, Mr. Adhikari informed the West Bengal Assembly that the UCC would be implemented in the state soon and referred to the constitution of a committee headed by Justice Desai to examine the UCC Bill. The state cabinet approved the composition of the committee on July 2 and the notification was released on July 10.
Published – 04 Oct 2026 16:08 IST