Uniform Civil Code: Hours after the Uttarakhand government tabled the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill in the assembly, the Rajasthan Cabinet Minister Kanhaiya Lal Choudhary on Tuesday said that the preparations are underway to implement UCC in the state and discussions regarding this matter are scheduled to take place.
‘Preparing to implement UCC’
A cabinet minister of the Bhajan Lal Sharma government in Rajasthan praised Uttarakhand for becoming the first state to implement the UCC and congratulated Uttarakhand CM Dhami for this achievement.
He emphasised the importance of implementing a Uniform Civil Code in India, stating that only one law should prevail instead of two. Chaudhary mentioned that discussions will be held with Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma regarding the implementation of the UCC in Rajasthan. "We are also preparing to implement the Uniform Civil Code. Only one law will prevail, two laws cannot coexist. It is very important to implement the Uniform Civil Code in India. We are going to discuss its implementation with the Chief Minister."
Speaking about the hijab, Choudhary mentioned that dress codes are in place everywhere, so the hijab should be removed.
Pushkar Singh Dhami tables UCC Bill in Uttarakhand Assembly
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami today tabled the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill in the state assembly. The bill proposes uniform marriage, divorce, land, property and inheritance laws for all citizens irrespective of their religion in Uttarakhand.
The bill proposes that anyone who is entering into a live-in relationship within the state, irrespective of whether they are residents of Uttarakhand or not, will have to submit a statement of their live-in relationship.
According to the UCC, any child of a live-in relationship shall be a legitimate child of the couple.
BJP had promised to implement UCC
It should be noted that making legislation on the UCC and implementing it in Uttarakhand was one of the biggest promises made by the BJP during the 2022 Assembly elections. After securing a consecutive victory in the state and making history, the BJP, upon assuming power in March 2022, approved the formation of an expert committee to draft the UCC in the first cabinet meeting. Once the law is enacted, Uttarakhand will become the first state in the country to implement the UCC after independence. Goa has had the UCC in place since the days of Portuguese rule.
Article 44 of the Constitution of India says that the state shall endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) throughout the territory of India. The UCC proposes a common set of laws dealing with marriage, inheritance, adoption, and other matters.
The Uniform Civil Code has been a point of debate in the political corridors over the years, however, came to be highlighted after Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June last year batted for the implementation of the legislation, in an address in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhopal.
Also Read: Uniform Civil Code: Pushkar Singh Dhami tables UCC Bill in Uttarakhand Assembly
