The Uniform Civil Code has been a part of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s manifesto for decades and now the Narendra Modi government is eyeing the legislation after the successful enactment of the Waqf Amendment Act. The BJP has got support from some opposition parties as well in passing the contentious Waqf Bill and this has boosted the morale of the NDA.
According to reports, the government may ask the 23rd Law Commission to take ahead the UCC draft prepared by the previous law commission. Notably, during a speech in Uttarakhand on April 14, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hinted at the implementation of the UCC across India. PM Modi said that while the Constitution states there should be a uniform civil code for everyone and termed it Secular Civil Code. “The Congress never implemented it. After the BJP government came to power in Uttarakhand, the Secular Civil Code or the Uniform Civil Code was implemented with a bang,” the Prime Minister said.
According to reports, the Narendra Modi government is likely to appoint a Chairperson and Members of the 23rd Law Commission soon. Retired Justice Dinesh Maheshwari is likely to head the 23rd Law Commission. A notification for the 23rd Law Commission was issued on September 2. Now, after 7 months, the government is going to appoint its Chairman and members soon. Advocate Hitesh Jain and Prof DP Veram are likely to be the full-time members of the commission.
Notably, the 22nd Law Commission had prepared the UCC draft and released it seeking public opinion and has even got around one crore suggestions. The commission has already met around 30 organisations to discuss the issue.
According to reports, the UCC is likely to become a major issue in the upcoming elections. It could influence voter sentiment, particularly in South India. However, the government is expected to tread cautiously on topics like language and federalism, which have historically triggered resistance in the South. The focus will remain on uniformity in laws governing marriage, divorce, inheritance, and succession.
The government is also planning public awareness campaigns on the benefits of the UCC, and the Commission will begin consultations with various social and religious groups in the coming weeks.
