Union Home Minister Amit Shah said in a recent interview that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will be implemented all across India within the next 5 years after extensive consultations with all the stakeholders if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) comes back to power for the third term.
In an interview to news agency PTI, Shah said that five years is a “sufficient period” for implementing the UCC. He added that the BJP has done an experiment in Uttarakhand vis-a-vis the UCC as it is a subject of states and the Centre.
The UCC, which has been one of the pillars of the BJP’s agenda, was recently enacted in BJP-ruled Uttarakhand. The Home Minister said that the law made by the Uttarakhand government should undergo scrutiny and religious leaders should also be consulted.
“What I mean is that there should be an extensive debate on this. And if there is anything to change in the model law made by the Uttarakhand government after this extensive debate. Because someone will definitely go to court. The judiciary’s opinion will also come,” Shah added. He also mentioned that the state legislatures and the Parliament should think seriously over the UCC and a law must be enacted.
Amit Shah on religion taking centre stage in Lok Sabha elections
Furthermore, Shah said that the BJP has not indulged in any religion-based campaigning during the general elections.
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He, however, insisted that if campaigning against religion-based reservations and telling voters about the abolition of Article 370 and the implementation of the UCC is a religion-based campaign, the BJP has done it and will continue doing so.
Amit Shah accused the grand old Congress party of misleading the voters on Muslim reservation. The Home Minister further said that the Congress’ accusation that the BJP has been lying does not make sense as the grand old party has implemented religion-based quotas in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
He also defended Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s criticism of religious quotas and wealth redistribution promised by the Congress. “If they divide the truth in pieces to mislead people, then isn’t it our duty to put these pieces together and inform people,” he said.
BJP Lok Sabha election 2024 manifesto on UCC
In its Sankalp Patra for the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, the BJP said that Article 44 of the Constitution lists UCC as one of the Directive Principles of State Policy.
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The BJP manifesto read: “BJP believes that there cannot be gender equality till such time Bharat adopts a Uniform Civil Code, which protects the rights of all women, and the BJP reiterates its stand to draw a Uniform Civil Code, drawing upon the best traditions and harmonising them with the modern times.”
