Why the BJP is pushing for Uniform Civil Code ahead of 2024 polls? Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s appeal for the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) at a Bhopal rally has made it obvious that the BJP will be tough on its key ideological issues in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
PM Modi based his support for the UCC on constitutional equality, in the same way, that his government declared Triple Talaq a criminal offence as being related to gender justice and not necessary to Islam.
While the BJP intends to benefit politically from Muslim groups and opposition parties’ strong opposition to the UCC, it must also consider a number of factors before releasing a final draught. We must remember that the UCC is about much more than religion, such as marriage, divorce, adoption, and inheritance. Muslim organizations have overwhelmingly opposed it because religion is considered a private sphere.
Background
To begin with, the writers of the Constitution envisioned a consistent set of rules that would replace the country’s different personal laws of each religion. These are now specified in the state policy directive principles that are vital to the country’s government. Following the Shah Bano case in 1985, the Supreme Court has expressed optimism that the parliament will create a unified civil code to enhance national unification and eliminate conflicts between personal laws and the CrPC or other laws. Personal rules originating from religious scriptures must also be consistent with the Constitution and cannot infringe on fundamental rights, according to the court.
Why the BJP is pushing for Uniform Civil Code ahead of 2024 polls?
The law commission has solicited input and is anticipated to issue recommendations soon. This occurred eight months after the Centre told the Supreme Court that the Constitution required the state to have a UCC for its residents, arguing that individuals of different religions and denominations adhering to multiple property and marriage laws were detrimental to national unity.
The UCC is an RSS-affiliated project that appears in various BJP manifestos around the country. The Uttarakhand government appointed a committee to implement UCC last year, and the body is currently gathering suggestions on the topic from throughout the country. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami recently stated that the panel led by former Supreme Court Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai has completed 90% of the work relating to the code’s writing and that it will be submitted by June 30, following which the state will take steps to implement it.
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The BJP-led governments in Assam and Madhya Pradesh have announced the formation of committees as well. The Goa Civil Code has been in effect since the time of the Portuguese and is regarded as a sort of Uniform Civil Code, but it is rather complex on the ground. Gujarat has also stated that it is working to implement the UCC.
Having a central law will only reinforce the laws in the state, officials said, citing examples such as rules prohibiting religious conversions or cow slaughter, where there are state-specific restrictions in addition to national ones.
