UCC in 21 BJP-NDA states by 2029 will be milestone for gender equality: VHP

The Vishva Hindu Parishad on Monday welcomed Union Home Minister Amit Shah's announcement that BJP-led NDA governments in 21 states would introduce the Uniform Civil Code before 2029, describing the move as a potential "milestone" in addressing gender inequality and discrimination.

Shah had on Sunday said the UCC would be implemented in all 21 BJP-NDA-ruled states before the next Lok Sabha elections, scheduled for 2029.

Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Shah highlighted the achievements of the Narendra Modi government over the past 12 years and the BJP's 25-year journey under Modi's leadership.

"Triple talaq has been abolished, giving Muslim women equal rights. We have introduced the Uniform Civil Code in several states, and I am confident that we will introduce it in all the 21 BJP-NDA states before 2029," Shah said.

VHP national spokesperson Vinod Bansal said the proposed expansion of the UCC would help a large section of women secure rights they had allegedly been denied for decades.

"It will also help free women and children from the clutches of fundamentalists and separatists," Bansal said in a post on X.

Welcoming Shah's announcement, Bansal claimed that the UCC had already been implemented in five states and was under process in three others.

"UCC in 80 per cent of India by 2029! Kudos to the Modi government... This decision will prove to be a milestone in eliminating the remaining gender inequality and discrimination in India and in advancing the rights of women and children," he said.

Speaking separately to PTI Videos, Bansal said the move should receive support across the country.

"It is a very welcome and important step that should be supported everywhere. UCC has already been implemented in four-five BJP-ruled states; it has been in place in Goa from the beginning," he said.

He claimed the process was underway in Rajasthan, Maharashtra and several other states, including West Bengal, and expressed confidence that the code would be implemented in most states by the end of this year.

Bansal also called on states not governed by the BJP to consider introducing the UCC.

"States that are not ruled by the BJP should also consider implementing UCC. After all, giving equal rights to citizens, giving rights to women, and restoring lost rights to children is the responsibility of the government and the administration," he said.

"It is not just a moral responsibility, but also a constitutional duty," he added.