‘Give us six months’: Suvendu Adhikari promises ‘love jihad’, ‘land jihad’ laws after UCC
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has set a six-month timeline for his BJP government to introduce stringent laws against what he termed “love jihad”, “land jihad” and religious conversions, after implementing a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state.
Addressing an event in Kolkata on Sunday to mark the birth centenary of former Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) president Ashok Singhal, Adhikari said West Bengal would follow the examples of Uttarakhand and Gujarat in bringing in the UCC.
“Give us six months,” Adhikari told the gathering while announcing the proposed laws.
The chief minister said the BJP government would operate within the framework of the Constitution, but would not permit what he described as attacks on Indian culture, Sanatani traditions, temples, monasteries and the state’s heritage.
Bengal’s UCC proposal
The West Bengal government has already constituted a high-level committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai to examine a draft UCC for the state.
According to a government notification, the proposed UCC seeks to bring uniformity to civil laws governing marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption across communities.
Implementation of the UCC was among the BJP’s key promises during the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.
Adhikari said Bengal would follow Uttarakhand and Gujarat in implementing the common civil code before moving ahead with the proposed laws against “love jihad” and “land jihad”.
Adhikari says government will protect religious heritage
The chief minister said his government would not tolerate attacks on temples, monasteries or traditions associated with figures such as Swami Vivekananda and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
“This government will not allow any anti-national activity here,” he said, while urging people to remain vigilant against what he described as “divisive forces”.
Adhikari also referred to a reported protest at Jadavpur University against what he called “anti-national forces” and claimed that “Azadi” slogans were still being raised there.
He further alleged that some people remained silent when terrorists targeted victims based on their faith but protested when the Indian Air Force carried out strikes against terror infrastructure.
Rs 1,000 crore religious tourism circuit planned
Adhikari also announced plans for a religious tourism circuit in West Bengal, saying the project would be completed within two years with Rs 1,000 crore earmarked for it.
He sought suggestions and cooperation from the public for the project.
The chief minister also said preparations had begun for next year’s Gangasagar Mela, with facilities planned to meet international standards.
Among the other programmes he announced were a Hanuman Chalisa recital involving 20,000 people at Netaji Indoor Stadium in November and a mass Gita recital involving 10 lakh people on December 29.
Adhikari also said Durga Puja inaugurations would not be allowed during Pitrupaksh and announced that Union Home Minister Amit Shah would be the chief guest at a grand Mahalaya programme at Eden Gardens, where the VHP would also be invited.
With PTI inputs