Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Friday that the BJP will implement the Uniform Civil Code in Uttar Pradesh if it returns to power, and predicted a long spell in opposition for the Samajwadi Party.
Speaking at the party's state working committee meeting in Lucknow, he said the promise would be kept once the government returns, noting that several states have already adopted the code. "This time, when the government comes to power, UCC will be implemented in Uttar Pradesh," he said, adding that the code is already in force in many states.
Accounts differed slightly on the pledge's wording. One described it as conditional on the BJP-led NDA forming a government for a third time after the 2027 assembly polls; others said the BJP would act if returned to power next year.
Aiming at the Opposition, Shah told Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav to "mark my words", saying his party would not form a government in the state for the next 30 years and that voters would not forgive even his "third generation".
The daylong meeting was held at the Dr Ram Manohar Lohia National Law University auditorium and chaired by BJP state president and Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, BJP state in-charge Vinod Tawde and national general secretary Smriti Irani were among those present.
Shah also attacked Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, saying the BJP would reply to his "meaningless statements" by winning the state again in 2027, and asked party workers to treat the coming election as their own battle by setting aside personal grievances. He praised the Adityanath government's record on law and order and on drawing investment, said the Centre had released adequate funds for the state's development, and called the party's cadre its greatest strength.
He referred to the firing on kar sevaks in Ayodhya during an earlier Samajwadi Party government, to the abrogation of Article 370 and to the government's target of a drug-free India by December 2029. He claimed that riot incidents in the state had fallen by 70 per cent since the BJP-led alliance took office. He said the BJP was ready to discuss opposition allegations of "vote theft" in Parliament and challenged the Opposition to a special session where every charge could be examined. He also cited recent election wins in Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Bihar and Assam, and the party's return to power in Delhi.
The BJP’s promise to introduce a Uniform Civil Code has featured in its election manifestos for several years. The party reiterated its commitment in the 2014, 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha manifestos, referring to Article 44 of the Constitution and calling for a common framework that would draw upon traditions while reflecting modern principles. However, a nationwide Uniform Civil Code has not been enacted by the Centre.
(With inputs from media reports)