Face2News/Guwahati/ New Delhi
The General Secretary of All India Congress Committee former Union Minister and MP Kumari Selja on Monday said that the BJP is using the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC) as a tool to divide society and create political polarisation. Addressing a press conference at the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee office in Guwahati, Kumari Selja said the so-called UCC being implemented in Assam is not uniform but a selective civil code.
Kumari Selja argued that the government’s indication of excluding Sixth Schedule tribal areas exposes the hollowness of the claim of uniformity. She accused the BJP of using the law not for genuine legal reform but to target a particular community and deepen social divisions. Kumari Selja said the Complex social and legal issues are being reduced to simplistic political slogans to mislead the public. The Congress leader asserted that any major social or legal reform must be preceded by extensive consultation with states, communities and legal experts. However, she alleged that the BJP government is imposing such decisions without dialogue or consensus, which goes against democratic values.
Highlighting Assam’s social and cultural diversity, Kumari Selja said ignoring tribal traditions and constitutional safeguards while implementing laws would amount to a direct attack on the state’s identity. On social justice, she said the Congress believes in structural reforms rather than symbolic politics. Stressing the need for a caste census, she said equitable distribution of resources is not possible without updated data.
Kumari Selja added that the Congress is committed to granting Scheduled Tribe status to six communities in Assam, which would ensure real benefits in education, employment and political representation. Expressing concern over land policies, Kumari Selja said current measures are creating insecurity and a sense of displacement among local and tribal communities. In contrast, she said, the Congress aims to empower local populations and safeguard their rights. Listing the party’s guarantees, Kumari Selja said these include ₹50,000 financial assistance for women, cashless health insurance coverage up to ₹25 lakh per family, a monthly pension of ₹1,250 for senior citizens, and permanent land titles for 10 lakh people. She concluded by saying that Assam needs justice, representation and protection of its identity rather than “imposed laws,” adding that “divisive politics will not work anymore.”