Guwahati, May 28 -- The Assam assembly on Wednesday passed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill after a heated debate between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led alliance and opposition parties, with the government describing the legislation as a step towards gender justice and the opposition calling it divisive, selective and unconstitutional. The bill, the third such legislation after Uttarakhand and Gujarat, seeks to regulate marriage, divorce, succession and live-in relationships through a common legal framework. Scheduled tribes (STs), who account for 12.45% of Assam's population according to the 2011 Census, have been excluded from its ambit. The legislation was passed by voice vote after more than five hours of discussion amid s...