Azad cautions Modi govt on UCC: ‘Don’t even think…will not be good for any govt’

Former Union minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Saturday cautioned the Narendra Modi-led central government over the implementation of a uniform civil code (UCC), saying it will annoy all minority communities at once.

Azad asserted that implementing the UCC will not be “easy as it was to revoke Article 370” since all religions are involved in it.

“There is no question (of implementing it). It is not easy as it was to revoke Article 370. All religions are involved in it. Not only Muslims, but Christians and Sikhs also, tribals, Jains, Parsis, annoying all these people at once, will not be good for any government,” the chairman of the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) said.

“So, I suggest this government to not even think about taking this step,” he said.

UCC refers to a common set of laws that are applicable to all citizens of India across religions which will deal with marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption among other matters.

The implementation of UCC has been on BJP’s agenda for decades but got a renewed push after Prime Minister Modi made a strong pitch at a rally in Madhya Pradesh.

The Congress has downplayed the issue as a “distraction” by the BJP ahead of the crucial assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Even some of the BJP’s allies have pushed back against the implementation of a UCC, with Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K. Sangma calling it against the idea of India.

The Nagaland government said a 12-member delegation led by chief minister Neiphiu Rio has received assurance from Union home minister Amit Shah that the Centre is considering the exemption of Christians and some pockets of tribal areas from the scope of the proposed contentious UCC.