Pushkar Singh Dhami promises Uttarakhand its own UCC
On the last day of the election campaign in Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced that the BJP government, if re-elected, would form a committee to draft a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) as ” security” of the cultural and religious property of the State. heritage as well as its borders was important for the country.
“The security of Uttarakhand’s cultural and religious heritage, its environment and its borders is important not only for the state, but for the whole country. With this, soon after our swearing-in ceremony, the next BJP government will form a committee comprised of people knowledgeable about the legal system, retired employees, company figures and other stakeholders. This committee will prepare a draft uniform civil code for the people of Uttarakhand. This UCC will be for equal laws on matters like marriage, divorce, land, property and inheritance for people of all religions,” Dhami told a news agency on Saturday.
Uttarakhand will vote on February 14 to elect its next state assembly.
“The UCC will be an important step towards realizing the dream of the creators of the Constitution and will cement the spirit of the Constitution. It will also be an effective step towards Article 44 of the Constitution, which talks about guaranteeing a UCC for every citizen of the country. From time to time, the Supreme Court has not only emphasized its implementation, but also expressed its dissatisfaction with steps that have not been taken in this direction,” the Chief Minister said.
“Along with this, the immense spiritual and cultural recognition of devbhoomi will also be increased while preserving the environment. Uttarakhand UCC will also serve as an example for other states,” Dhami said.
On Saturday, Congress head of state media Rajiv Maharshi called the announcement a desperate attempt by the BJP to polarize the upcoming elections because the party was eyeing a defeat in Uttarakhand.
“The chief minister’s announcement shows their frustration. This is the same party that backtracked on the formation of the Devasthanam Board (temple sanctuary board) and the allocation of land to Gairsain (as the third state commissioner after Kumaon and Garhwal) in develop as a summer capital. The UCC seems to be another issue they are going to turn around on,” he said.
AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi also reacted to Dhami’s statement, saying the CM should “understand that ‘uniform’ does not mean common”.
“Babasaheb (Dr BR Ambedkar) had said it should be voluntary and not compulsory. AIMIM believes in ‘unity in diversity’. What does diversity mean? This means that one size will not fit everyone. India has many cultures,” said the parliamentarian.