U’khand may be first State to apply code as its draft is complete
The Modi Government is considering to introduce the contentious Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill during the upcoming Monsoon session of Parliament. The Government is hopeful that it can secure the necessary support in the Rajya Sabha, with parties such as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on their side.
Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP, the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), and the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) have openly expressed their support for the UCC. The BJP is also hoping for the backing of Naveen Patnaik’s BJD and Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSR Congress, although Reddy’s stance on the matter is yet to be clarified.
However, a significant number of Opposition parties, including the Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC), Janata Dal United (JDU), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Samajwadi Party (SP), and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), have described the UCC as a “diversionary tactic” employed by the Modi Government with an eye on the Lok Sabha polls. They have voiced their opposition to the Bill, while other parties like the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Shiv Sena (Uddhav faction) have called for “wider consultations” on the issue.
Commenting on the matter, BJP General Secretary Dushyant Gautam stated on Friday, “The Uniform Civil Code has been part of the BJP’s manifesto since the inception of the party, and its implementation is therefore a priority.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent endorsement of the UCC suggests that the Government intends to expedite the process and present the Bill during the Monsoon Session, ahead of the next Lok Sabha elections.
The real challenge for the BJP lies in the Upper House, where they require the support of 119 members to pass the Bill in the current strength of 237 MPs, accounting for eight vacant seats. Currently, the BJP has 92 members, and with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) holding 109 seats, they are relying on the support of the nine seats held by both the BJP and the YSR Congress. However, since the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSR Congress has not yet clarified their stance on the UCC, the BJP could potentially be supported by Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP, which holds ten crucial seats in the Upper House.
The election for ten Rajya Sabha seats is scheduled for July 24, where the BJP is expected to secure an additional seat from West Bengal at the expense of the Congress.
Following Modi’s strong endorsement of the UCC, the Parliamentary Standing Committee has summoned representatives from the Law Commission and the Law Ministry to deliberate on the issue on July 3. The committee aims to gather views on the UCC and review personal laws.
As per the standing committee’s schedule, representatives of the law panel, legal affairs, and legislative departments of the Law Ministry will present their views “on the public notice issued by the Law Commission of India on June 14, 2023, inviting views from various stakeholders on the Uniform Civil Code, under the subject ‘Review of Personal Laws.’”