Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday batted for two crucial issues and made a strong pitch for ‘Uniform Civil Code’ (UCC) and ‘one nation, one election’, and said both of these were the need of the hour and would help in the progress of the country. He urged political parties to come forward to realise the dream while contending that frequent polls were creating hurdles in the nation’s progress. The Prime Minister made a fresh call for these two contentious issues despite the BJP being 32 short of a majority in the Lok Sabha and depending on allies to reach the halfway mark.

In his third term’s first from Red Fort, the Prime Minister made an unequivocal pitch for a “secular” civil code instead of the current framework which is “communal” and promoted “discrimination”, and also for simultaneous polls, as he fronted the ruling BJP’s manifesto promises for a Uniform Civil Code and ‘one nation one election’.

Both a nationwide UCC and ‘one nation one election’ have been part of successive BJP’s manifestos. While some BJP-ruled States are working to roll out a Uniform Civil Code, the Centre has so far not taken any legislative measure for its implementation nationally.

“In our country, the Supreme Court has repeatedly addressed the issue of the Uniform Civil Code. Numerous orders have been issued, reflecting the belief of a significant portion of our population — and rightly so — that the current Civil Code resembles a Communal Civil Code, one that is discriminatory,” he said. The Prime Minster noted that the Supreme Court has given various directions in this regard. The spirit of the Constitution also encourages such a code, he said, referring to Article 44 under the Directive Principles of State Policy.

It States that it is the duty of the State to secure for the citizens a Uniform Civil Code throughout the territory of India.

“As we celebrate 75 years of the Constitution, we must hold extensive discussions on this subject as the Supreme Court advocates for this change. And it is our collective responsibility to realise the vision of the framers of our Constitution. We should welcome diverse opinions and perspectives. Laws that divide our nation based on religion and foster discrimination have no place in modern society. Therefore, I assert that it is time for the country to demand a Secular Civil Code. After 75 years of a Communal Civil Code, it is crucial to move towards a Secular Civil Code. Once this shift takes place, it will eliminate religious discrimination and will bridge the gap felt by ordinary citizens,” Modi said.

The UCC proposes a common set of laws for all citizens, regardless of their religion, covering matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, succession, and adoption.

The goal is to have secular laws that override religious laws in these areas. Currently, the UCC is only implemented in Goa, while a bill is under consideration in Uttarakhand.

In 2016, the Modi Government asked the Law Commission of India to explore how to develop a code given the “thousands of personal laws” in the country. The Law Commission’s 2018 consultation paper on family law reform stated that a unified nation does not necessarily require “uniformity” and that secularism should not conflict with the country’s diversity.

Strongly advocating for ‘one nation, one election’, he said extensive consultations have been held across the country on the issue and all political parties have given their views while a committee has submitted an excellent report. “Frequent elections are creating hurdles in the progress of the nation. It has become easy to link any scheme/initiative with elections. There are elections somewhere every three to six months. Every work is linked to elections,” Modi said. “The nation has to come forward for one nation, one election,” he said.

The prime minister urged political parties “from the Red Fort and with the national tricolour as a witness to ensure the nation’s progress”. He also asked the parties to ensure that “national resources are used for the common man. We have to come forward to realise the dream of one nation one election”.  ‘One nation, one election’ is one of the key promises made by the BJP in its manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections.

As far as one nation, one election is concerned, the Law Commission had started consultations for it last year. A committee headed by former president Ram Nath Kovid had consulted political parties across the spectrum and submitted to the government its report, favouring simultaneous elections. Opposition parties had conveyed their strong objections to the concept. The concept of ‘One Nation, One Election’ entails the simultaneous conduct of Lok Sabha and all Assembly elections once every five years.

This idea does not include panchayat elections, municipal elections, or by-elections. Implementing this initiative would necessitate a constitutional amendment, which would need to be put in force by 50 per cent of the states.

According to the NITI Aayog report, a policy think tank of the Government of India, in the last 30 years, there has not been a single year without an election to either Lok Sabha, State Assembly or sometimes both.