The Uttarakhand Government introduced the Uniform Civil Code Bill in the Assembly today.
This is the first such move by any State Government since Independence that could set the roadmap as similar legislations in other States.
Highly placed sources in the BJP in Delhi said, “We are glad that Dev Bhumi has taken this initiative.”
Emphasising the BJP’s deliverables across the board, from Article 370 to Ayodhya, in the past decade, sources said the party and the Government have made huge inroads into the minds of the average Indian.
Beyond gender, caste, creed, and religion from economy to social justice, the BJP is touching different lives across sectors from gas to taps, marital rights to inheritance, all sections of BPL families feel empowered, they asserted.
“We actually believe in and implement our promise of the last mile delivery,” said a senior BJP leader, adding that, “We will have a good debate on UCC.”
The Bill has exempted the tribal communities from the proposed law. The Bill also mandates registration of live-in relationships and children born thereof. The Bill categorically states that live-in relationships must be registered.
It stipulates a penalty of a month in prison or a fine of Rs 10,000 or both if they do not submit a statement on the relationship to the local Registrar.
They stand to face higher penalty in case they submit false information. The Bill also makes it clear that a marriage can only be solemnised if “neither party has spouse living at the time of marriage”.
If not registered the deserted woman will be entitled to maintenance from her partners.
Only Goa has a common civil law, in operation since Portuguese rule.
The Bill effectively bans polygamy. On Tuesday, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami marched into the House with the copy of the original Constitution.
The Bill applies to all of Uttarakhand and to all its people living outside the State. The State’s tribal population will not be affected.
The BJP had promised UCC for Uttarakhand ahead of the 2022 Assembly Polls. They finally seem to have delivered.