UP to become the 6th state with a 'uniform' civil code; Amit Shah pledges UCC
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Lucknow: India will probably have the sixth 'uniform' civil code going by the statement by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Amit Shah said on Friday that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will be implemented in Uttar Pradesh if the BJP-led NDA forms the government after the next state assembly elections due in early 2027.
Amit Shah's remarks were made in his speech at the inauguration of the BJP's state executive committee meeting in Lucknow, as part of preparations for the Assembly elections.
UCC has been a flagship item on the BJP's agenda in the build-up for most recent elections, be it for the parliament or state assemblies, and has also been used to whip up sentiments against the Muslim community who are particularly critical of the move by the BJP, and want to maintain their own personal law according to the Shariah.
So far, UCC has been passed by governments led by the BJP in states of Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Assam and Madhya Pradesh. Goa had already a UCC in place since the Portuguese colonial days and the same has been retained since, but in a qualified form in that special provisions do exist for certain communities such as Hindus and Catholics, in deviation from the common code.
Amit Shah spoke on the occasion in the presence of UP BJP President and Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, both Deputy Chief Ministers, and other senior party leaders were present at the event.
The Union Home Minister recalled the political situation surrounding the Ram Temple construction and also the contribution of former UP CM late Kalyan Singh, saying that the latter had taken a historic decision for the Ram Temple movement "without caring about his government then".
Further targeting the Congress and the SP, he said that under Akhilesh Yadav's leadership, "SP had been losing elections continuously, while the Congress under Rahul Gandhi had failed to return to power".
Expressing confidence in BJP workers, Shah said not only in Uttar Pradesh but across India, the BJP would remain politically strong for the next 30 years.
Further, he praised the Yogi Adityanath government for working towards improving the law-and-order situation in UP and its efforts to attract investment, a contention that is sure to be contested by leaders across parties.
While lashing out at the Opposition, HM Shah credited CM Adityanath for taking "effective action" to eliminate the mafia network in the state.
Amit Shah also invoked the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution that granted special rights to Jammu & Kashmir, another key item the party used in elections since its victory in the 2014 general election. He said "The BJP had fulfilled its promise and that no major violence had occurred during the process," while reiterating the government's goal of making India drug-free by December 2029.
Recalling the period when former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi was in power, HM Shah said that while the BJP was once mocked, it has transformed those challenges into strengths. "Today, Narendra Modi has become Prime Minister for a third consecutive term, and the National Democratic Alliance governs 22 states," he underlined.
(With inputs from IANS)