New Delhi: The government is expected to seek more time from the Supreme Court on the issue of Uniform Civil Code for holding wider consultations with all stakeholders when the matter comes up for hearing next week.
Law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda will hold consultations with his senior cabinet colleagues and legal experts, government sources said here today.
Under directions of the Supreme Court, government has been tasked with filing an affidavit before it on the issue by next week.
There is a clear view in the government that the common code can only be implemented after taking all stakeholders on board.
Gowda had recently said that a Uniform Civil Code is necessary for national integration but made it clear that no hasty decision will be taken on it.
The Law Minister had made these observations after the Supreme Court had on October 12 sought to know from the government whether it was willing to bring the common code in the country. It had asked the Solicitor General to seek the government's view and posted the matter for further hearing after three weeks.
"...Even the Preamble of our Constitution and Article 44 of the Constitution do say that there should be a Uniform Civil Code. For the interest of national integration, certainly a common civil code is necessary. But it is a very sensitive issue. It needs very wider consultation. Even communities, even across the party line, even various organisations...it need to have a wider consultation," Gowda had said.
He had said a decision "cannot be done in a day or two.
It will take its own time.
