"Will Comment Once Draft Is Submitted": Sanjay Raut On Uniform Civil Code

Amid the raging debate across the country over the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Saturday said they would comment on the matter only once the draft is submitted.

"The draft of the proposed UCC is yet to be put in the public domain. It is neither with you (media) nor with us. Let the draft be completed, and then we will comment," he told ANI.

The Law Commission had on June 14 reopened its exercise on the UCC by soliciting "views and ideas" from the public and "recognised" religious organisations within 30 days about the proposal that has been on the ruling BJP's agenda for long.

The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) ally Nationalist Congress Party took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks on the Uniform Civil Code a day earlier.

"The BJP has failed to hold onto the states. Many states are not with them, what is going to happen in the next elections while the PM is making such statements," Sharad Pawar said referring to PM Modi's recent statement on UCC.

On Tuesday, PM Modi, while batting for the UCC in Bhopal said that the country cannot run on two laws and that Uniform Civil Code was part of the Constitution.

The Uniform Civil Code is a proposal to formulate and implement personal laws which will apply uniformly to all citizens regardless of their religion, gender, and sexual orientation.

The code comes under Article 44 of the Constitution, which stipulates that the state shall endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code for the citizens throughout the territory of India.

In the BJP's 2019 Lok Sabha election manifesto, the party had promised the implementation of UCC if it came to power.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)