Congress UCC Meet: Party Rejects Uniformity In All Laws
Top Congress leaders went into a huddle on Saturday to discuss the government’s push for Uniform Civil Code (UCC). In the meeting, the party leaders unanimously rejected the idea of uniformity of all laws and decided to react only after the government brings the draft bill.
In a closed-door meeting chaired by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress leaders also decided that a nuanced internal report should also be prepared.
“We are clear that there can be nothing uniform about all laws. How can the country have the same civil laws for North East, South India, Muslims and Hindus? However, some angularity of individual laws can be looked at,” said a Congress leader.
The Congress has refrained from taking a stand on the proposed legislation till the Centre comes out with a draft.
UCC refers to a common set of laws that will subsume customary laws across faiths and tribes and govern issues such as marriage, divorce, inheritance and maintenance.
In the Constitution, UCC is a part of the non-justiciable directive principles of state policy. The 22nd Law Commission of India has been examining the subject matter of the proposed UCC with regard to a reference sent by the ministry of law and justice on June 17, 2016.
In a 2018 consultation paper, the Law Commission said UCC was “neither necessary nor desirable at this stage”. However, it solicited views and suggestions on UCC from the public and recognised religious organisations.
The issue got a fresh fillip on June 27, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) booth workers and made a strong case for UCC. “These days, people are being provoked by the UCC. You tell me, if there is one law for one person in a home, and another law for another person, can that house function?” Modi asked. As the crowd roared in denial, Modi said, “How can a country work with such a hypocritical system? We must remember that even India’s Constitution talks of common rights.”
For decades, both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has pushed for UCC that will be applicable to all communities and faiths to govern issues such as marriage, divorce, succession, adoption and division of assets.
However, several opposition parties, activists and communities have opposed UCC.
Congress had previously said that the Law Commission’s latest attempt to seek fresh public opinion on a UCC represents the PM Narendra Modi government’s desperation for continuing with its agenda of polarisation and diversion from its failures.