Uttarakhand elections: CM Dhami promises to implement Uniform Civil Code if voted to power

Ahead of the Uttarakhand elections, incumbent Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has said that his government would implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) if voted into power. Dhami said that the Bharatiya Janata Party will ensure the implementation of UCC for the welfare of the state. He further said that the move would enhance social harmony and thus improve the state.

Speaking at a press conference in Khatima, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the BJP would form a committee to draft the Uniform Civil Code in the state as soon as they swear in. He said that implementing the UCC ‘at the earliest’ would be the government’s promise. “Implementing Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand at the earliest will boost equal rights for everyone in the state,” Dhami said.

Further lauding the UCC, the CM said, “It'll enhance social harmony, boost gender justice, strengthen women empowerment & help protect the extraordinary cultural-spiritual identity and environment of the state.” Dhami also said that the code would bring equality in the state. "Soon after its swearing-in, new BJP govt will form a committee to prepare a draft of Uniform Civil Code in the state. This UCC will provide for same laws regarding marriages, divorce, land-property and inheritance for all people, irrespective of their faith," the CM told ANI.

What is Uniform Civil Code?

A UCC is a comprehensive set of common laws governing personal matters like marriage, divorce, adoption, succession, and others. At present, every religion has its own personal law. The aim of UCC is to ensure equality. In November last year, the Allahabad High Court had stressed that the UCC is mandatory. The single-judge bench of Justice Suneet Kumar had said that a common civil code will help the cause of national integration by removing disparate loyalties to laws that have conflicting ideologies. 

Furthermore, the Centre had recently told Delhi High Court that it would examine the need for a Uniform Civil Code and hold consultation with various stakeholders after it receives a report from the Law Commission on the subject. The affidavit stated that 21st Law Commission undertook detailed research on the matter and uploaded a paper on family law. The affidavit was in response to a writ petition filed by advocate and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay in the Delhi HC.

Image: ANI/SHUTTERSTOCK