Kejriwal bats for Uniform Civil Code; says Govt must take everyone’s consent
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said he supported the idea of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), but it must be done with the consent of all communities and in consultation with them.
“Article 44 of the Constitution clearly states that it is the government’s responsibility to frame the Uniform Civil Code. So, the government should frame it. It should be done by taking the views of all communities,” Kejriwal said at a press meet in Gujarat. The Delhi Chief Minister is in the western state to campaign for the upcoming Assembly elections.
Gujarat announcement
Kejriwal’s remark came a day after the Gujarat government announced plans to implement UCC in the state.
“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has taken a historic decision in the Cabinet meeting today to form a committee to implement the UCC in the state,” Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi said on Saturday.
Also read: A brief history of uniform civil code, and why the idea wouldn’t go away
The state government proposed to form a committee headed by a retired High Court judge to examine how the UCC can be implemented. However, it has also promised that the Hindu Marriage Act and Muslim personal laws will be covered under the code.
BJP-ruled Uttarakhand formed a similar committee earlier this year. Several other BJP-ruled states, including Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh, have batted for the UCC.
“BJP bluffing”
However, Kejriwal claimed that the BJP was “bluffing” on implementing the UCC in Gujarat, just as it did in Uttarakhand. “They formed a committee after winning the Uttarakhand elections, but then they went home,” he said. Now the BJP has formed a committee “three days before Gujarat elections,” which will also “head home” after the polls, he added.
Kejriwal questioned why the BJP has not yet implemented a UCC in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh despite the respective governments talking about it. “Why not implement it (UCC) across the country? Are they waiting for the Lok Sabha elections?” he remarked.
Also read: Why Gujarat is key to AAP’s dream of becoming a national party
The UCC, which would replace personal laws based on scriptures and customs of various religious communities with a common set of rules governing every citizen, is a contentious issue for Muslims. The Congress has also slammed the BJP’s repeated assurances of bringing the UCC as a gimmick to shore up Hindu votes.
(With agency inputs)
