UCC in India: Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) might back the central government's push for a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), sources privy to the development said. However, till now no formal statement has been given by any Shiv Sena (UBT) leader in this regard.
But speculations are being made that Uddhav Thackeray's party will support the UCC in the Lok Sabha. At the same time, Shiv Sena Eknath Shinde faction MP Rahul Shewale has said that Balasaheb Thackeray had three dreams-- Ram temple in Ayodhya, abrogation of Article 370 and implementation of UCC in the country.
Shiv Sena's stand on UCC
Shewale said that Shiv Sena is also in support of UCC. Dr B R Ambedkar had also urged to bring UCC but at that time Congress had opposed it. He further said that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde should move a resolution in support of the UCCC in the Monsoon Session of the Legislative Assembly and send it to the Center for approval.
"Misunderstandings are being spread in society regarding UCC," he added. Shewale said that Congress has also constituted a committee in this regard yesterday but Congress leader Hussain Dalwai is against it which is unfortunate.
'Sharad Pawar should also support'
"We will also demand from Union Home Minister Amit Shah that this Bill should be discussed in the monsoon session of Parliament," he said. The Shiv Sena leader further urged Uddhav Thackeray to support the Uniform Civil Code.
He said that if Sharad Pawar have any doubt about UCC then he should clear it but everyone should support it. "A whip will also be issued to discuss UCC in Parliament," added Shewale.
Earlier, Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party said it will support the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). "We support Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in principle as Article 44 also says that there should be UCC in the country. Therefore, there should be a wide consultation with all religions, political parties and organizations and a consensus should be built," said AAP leader Sandeep Pathak.
PM on UCC
On Tuesday, PM Modi, while addressing party workers in Bhopal, had hit out at the Opposition parties for “misleading” minorities regarding the UCC. "Today people are being instigated in the name of UCC. How can the country run on two (laws)? The Constitution also talks of equal rights...Supreme Court has also asked to implement UCC. These (Opposition) people are playing vote bank politics," he asserted.
Implementation of UCC
Implementation of the UCC has now become BJP's top priority - with eyes on the 2024 polls. Going on the right track BJP-run states like Goa have already implemented it, while in Uttarakhand a promise was made in this regard ahead of its 2022 Assembly polls — it was also in his poll manifesto. The Pushkar Singh Dhami-led Uttarakhand government has formed a five-member committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge to prepare a draft on UCC for the state.
For UCC, the Centre has been banking upon Supreme Court, which has time and again given a green signal in a few cases in order to provide equal justice to citizens. This was reflected when the SC made a decision on abolishing Tripple Talaq.
Parliamentary panel on UCC
Meanwhile, a parliamentary standing committee called representatives of the Law Commission and the law ministry on July 3 on a recent notice issued by the law panel seeking views of stakeholders on the issue of a uniform civil code.
According to the schedule of the standing committee on law and personnel, it will hear the views of representatives of the law panel and legal affairs and legislative departments of the law ministry "on public notice issued by the Law Commission of India on June 14, 2023, inviting views from the various stakeholders on the Uniform Civil Code, under the subject 'Review of Personal Laws'".
Till Tuesday evening, the law panel had received nearly 8.5 lakh responses on its public notice.
