"We Delivered": Uttarakhand Chief Minister On Bringing Uniform Civil Code

The BJP had proposed a Uniform Civil Code for Uttarakhand in its pre-election manifesto, and the people of the state gave it a mandate to implement it by voting it to power, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami told NDTV today, dismissing accusations of attempting to polarise the state with the new law.

"We said we'd set up a committee for UCC as soon as we come to power. We delivered. An expert committee spoke to 2,35,000 people, various organisations, religious groups, and other stakeholders. It has almost finalised a draft. We'll act on it as soon as we receive it," he said.

The committee, which was set up by the Uttarakhand government last year, yesterday said the bill will strengthen the secular fabric of the country. 

Former Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, who heads the committee, said marriage acts of various religions, prevalent personal laws, Law Commission reports, and uncodified issues have all been studied and considered. "The draft bill is being printed and will be handed over to the government very soon. The bill will strengthen the secular fabric of this country," Ms Desai said.

The country should have one law for everyone, Mr Dhami stressed, calling it "the need of the country". The makers of the Constitution envisioned it, so everyone should welcome it, he said on reactions to the news.

On whether the Uttarakhand Civil Code could be a model for other BJP-governed states which may want to move ahead with a uniform code as well, he said he definitely hopes so, but the committee took into account unique geography, religion, culture, law and order, and other issues specific to the state.

"Intellectuals have studied all aspects, it will be a good draft, and in everyone's interest," he said.

The Congress, "which itself indulges in the politics of appeasement", shouldn't oppose the code just for the sake of opposing it, Mr Dhami said.

UCC refers to a common set of laws that are applicable to all the citizens of India and is not based on religion in dealing with marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption, among other personal matters.