Guwahati, May 27 (IANS) Raijor Dal president and Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the Assam government over the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), alleging that the draft law would pave the way for state intrusion and surveillance into the private lives of citizens.
Addressing reporters on Wednesday, Gogoi claimed that the proposed legislation would empower bureaucrats and authorities to monitor personal relationships, lifestyles and intimate aspects of people’s lives, which he described as a direct assault on constitutional freedoms.
“The State has created a bureaucracy to monitor the intimate and private aspects of people’s lives,” Gogoi said while criticising the proposed provisions of the UCC. He alleged that the law would institutionalise “constant surveillance” and moral policing by the administration.
According to the Raijor Dal leader, the proposed mechanism would allow government agencies to interfere in matters that fall within the personal domain of individuals. “This bureaucracy will spy on you — how you live and how you conduct your personal life. There will be continuous surveillance over private matters. How can this be accepted in a democratic society?” he questioned.
Gogoi further argued that the proposed provisions violated the spirit of the Constitution and ignored repeated observations made by the Supreme Court regarding the right to privacy. “What does the Constitution say, and what has the Supreme Court repeatedly stated? The Supreme Court has made it clear time and again that Parliament or state assemblies cannot interfere in private life in such a manner,” he said.
Targeting the BJP-led Assam government headed by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Gogoi alleged that the administration was attempting to impose excessive control over citizens through state machinery.
He also raised concerns about possible “moral policing” under the proposed law and questioned whether bureaucrats and police officials would begin monitoring people’s relationships and lifestyles.
Calling the proposed legislation an “attack on personal liberty”, Gogoi demanded that the controversial provisions be withdrawn, asserting that citizens should be allowed to live without state interference in their private lives.
–IANS
tdr/uk
