Dehradun, Feb 06 (The Street Press India) – On Tuesday, in Uttarakhand, the state assembly discussed the Uniform Civil Code bill. This bill suggests having the same marriage, divorce, land, property, and inheritance laws for everyone in the state, regardless of their religion.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami introduced the bill in the House and made a symbolic gesture by carrying an original copy of the Constitution as he entered the assembly.
The tabling of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) bill was greeted by enthusiastic support from the treasury benches, with desk thumping and chants of “Jai Sri Ram” and “Vande Mataram”. The bill will undergo debate in the assembly before it can be passed.
After it becomes law, Uttarakhand will be the first state in India post-Independence to implement the Uniform Civil Code. This code has been in place in Goa since the time of Portuguese colonization. Prior to the bill being introduced, opposition members protested inside the House, claiming they hadn’t been given sufficient time to review its provisions.
Leader of Opposition Yashpal Arya expressed concern, stating, “It seems the government wants to pass the bill without a debate, violating legislative traditions.” Opposition members raised slogans, but Speaker Ritu Khanduri reassured them that they would have ample time to review the bill. The current session of the state assembly was specifically called to address the passage of the UCC bill.
Passing legislation on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) fulfills a significant promise made by the BJP to the people of Uttarakhand during the 2022 Assembly polls, which resulted in the party securing a landslide victory for the second consecutive term. Many BJP-governed states, such as Gujarat and Assam, are interested in adopting the Uttarakhand UCC as a model for their own states.
