Omar Abdullah questions Centre’s UCC plans, says NDA allies oppose move

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday questioned Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s assertion that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) would be implemented across all 21 states governed by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance before 2029.

Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, Abdullah said key NDA allies, including the Janata Dal (United), were opposed to implementing the UCC in their states. He also questioned the Centre’s approach of introducing the civil code on a state-by-state basis, arguing that such legislation falls under Parliament’s domain.

“Not everyone in their NDA agrees with this. JDU has straight-up raised its hands and said it won’t be implemented in Bihar. If their own people aren’t ready for UCC, how can these people say that it should be implemented across the entire country? I don’t think these people will be able to pass it in Parliament,” Abdullah said.

Shah had said on Sunday that the UCC had already been introduced in several states and expressed confidence that it would be implemented in all 21 NDA-ruled states before 2029. He made the remarks at an event in Mumbai.

Abdullah also welcomed the mention and condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack in the BRICS New Delhi Declaration, calling it a significant achievement for Indian foreign policy given the presence of Pakistan’s key international partners at the summit.

On the operational situation along the Northern Front, Abdullah welcomed steps to reduce tensions and troop deployments along the Line of Actual Control and the Line of Control. He said any reduction in tensions would benefit people living close to the borders and expressed hope that conditions along both fronts would improve over time.