Republic Summit: CM Himanta speaks on UCC, says 'Its implementation is our responsibility'

Speaking at the Republic Summit 2023 in the national capital, Assam Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Himanta Biswa Sarma stressed why the Uniform Civil Code is necessary for the country, adding that the implementation of the UCC is the responsibility of the BJP government.

On being asked when the BJP-led Centre government will implement the Uniform Civil Code in the country given that it was their agenda, CM Himanta said, "Modi ji knows his timing. I don’t want to comment on what is going on in the courts, but we believe that Uniform Civil Code is one of the agendas which we need to accomplish for the women of India. You cannot allow a husband to have three wives."

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Implementing UCC is our responsibility: CM Himanata Sarma

In conversation with Republic Media Network Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, CM Himanta said, "What is UCC? UCC is simple and not a complicated thing. If a Hindu husband has one wife, then a Muslim or other religious people should have the same facility. I am putting it in a positive way because if a Hindu woman can enjoy that privilege why cannot a Muslim woman enjoy that in independent India?"

"Are our Muslim women a second-class citizen of this country? It is necessary for them in spite of the presence of Article 14 (Right to Equality). So UCC is our responsibility and this is what we owe to the Muslim women of this country," he added.

On the Special Marriage Act, he said, "Sometimes we go to this act- Special Marriage Act. But women of our villages don’t know about the Special Marriage Act, they want to get a marriage in an honourable manner and want one husband. If the special marriage act is there and there is no problem, then why not bring the UCC? Where is the issue?... Muslim women have been going through exploitation since the time when the Sultan came to India. It’s been hundreds of years."