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By Dolly Chingakham: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday released its election manifesto for the Karnataka Assembly poll, which is scheduled to be held on May 10. The party made several promises, with key focus on its plans to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state.
The UCC, which comes under Article 44 of the Constitution of India, proposes to introduce personal laws that would apply to all citizens equally, irrespective of their religion, gender, caste, etc.
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The saffron party said the UCC will be implemented in Karnataka based on the recommendations given by a high-level committee that is to be constituted for the purpose.
However, this is not the first time that the BJP has promised the implementation of UCC in its poll manifestos. The party has made similar promises in the run-up to the state Assembly elections in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat.
Let us take a look at what the BJP promised in other states and their status:
Uttarakhand: On February 12, 2022, ahead of the Assembly elections, Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami promised a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) for the state if the BJP is voted back to power.
Status: On May 27, 2022, the Uttarakhand government constituted a five-member committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice (retired) Ranjana Prakash Desai to prepare a draft proposal for the implementation of UCC in the state. The committee members also included Justice Permod Kohli (retired), social activist Manu Gaur, former chief secretary Shatrughan Singh and vice-chancellor of Doon University Surekha Dangwal.
On September 8, 2022, the expert committee launched a website seeking public opinion on the plan to implement UCC. In December last year, the tenure of the committee was extended by the state government by six months.
On April 4, 2023, CM Pushkar Dhami said that the draft proposal for the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code was ready and the state government would come up with a final report in the next two months.
Gujarat: The BJP released its manifesto on November 26, 2022 ahead of the state Assembly election in December and promised to implement the Gujarat Uniform Civil Code Committee’s recommendations. The party also said it will create an anti-radicalisation cell in the state if re-elected to power.
Status: A month before the BJP’s manifesto was announced, Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi on October 29, 2022, announced the formation of a committee to implement UCC in the state. Union Minister Parshottam Rupala had said the committee will be headed by a retired high court judge and will have three to four members.
As of date, there is no update on the committee’s work and there has been no report made. However, the Supreme Court on January 9, 2023, refused to entertain a PIL challenging the decisions of Uttarakhand and Gujarat to constitute a committee on the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code in the two states.
Himachal Pradesh: On November 6, 2022, with Assembly elections in the state barely a week away, the BJP released its manifesto promising to implement UCC in the state if the party was voted back to power.
Status: The poll promise of UCC did not provide the required leverage as Congress wrested Himachal from the BJP. The BJP won only 25 seats while the Congress managed to win 40.
What other BJP-ruled states are saying on UCC:
Uttar Pradesh: On April 23, 2022, deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said the state government is considering implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state.
Haryana: In December 2022, Haryana home minister Anil Vij, while reacting to reports about some states considering the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code, said the law is being studied for its implementation in Haryana.
Madhya Pradesh: With the state going to the polls this year, the state government has been raking up the issue of UCC implementation. On December 1, 2022, the BJP government led by Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that a committee would be constituted to implement UCC in the state.
Maharashtra: Speaking at the Lokmat Maharashtrian of the Year Awards on October 17, 2022, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis expressed his support for the Uniform Civil Code, saying there is a growing call for it in the state. In January 2023, BJP MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar demanded the formation of a committee to draft a proposal for the implementation of UCC, saying it would bring equality between men and women. He also wrote a letter to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.
MNS chief Raj Thackeray had also appealed to the Centre in May 2022 to bring UCC to Maharashtra.
Assam: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma strongly pitched for UCC in April 2022, saying polygamy will continue without it. He said, “Everybody wants UCC. No Muslim woman wants her husband to bring home 3 other wives. Ask any Muslim woman. UCC is not my issue, it’s an issue for all Muslim women. If they are to be given justice, after the scrapping of Triple Talaq, UCC will have to be brought.”
So far, Goa is the only state in India to follow a common law for all its citizens. Since no major change was made since its liberation from the Portuguese in 1961, the state has continued to follow a common law as per the Portuguese Civil Code, 1867.
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Published On:
May 1, 2023
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