BJP, Congress fireworks likely as Pushkar Singh Dhami tables Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand assembly today

Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami will table the Uniform Civil Code Uttarakhand, 2024, bill in the state’s assembly today.

The legislation, which seeks to replace personal religious laws on marriage and inheritance with common civil rules, was the BJP’s main promise in its 2022 assembly election manifesto.

On Sunday, the Uttarakhand Cabinet approved the UCC panel’s draft report, two days after the five-member UCC committee — headed by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Desai — submitted the document to the chief minister.

The bill is expected to sail through in the assembly as the ruling BJP has 47 members in the 70-strong house. The legislation will then be sent to the governor, the state’s constitutional head. Once approved, it will become a law.

The Uttarakhand assembly session, especially called for the tabling of the bill, will likely witness fireworks between the BJP and the opposition Congress. On Monday, the first day of the session, Congress MLAs betrayed their intensions as they walked out of a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee in protest of the decision to waive the Question Hour.

Uttarakhand assembly Speaker Ritu Khandari, reacting to the protest, said on Monday that the UCC is an important bill for the entire nation. “The Question Hour is important too but sometimes things are so significant that take precedence over routine procedures of the House,” she said.

The Congress MLAs later submitted a letter to the Speaker, questioning the constitutionality of the decision of waiving the Question Hour on technical grounds. They also contended that the ongoing session cannot be categorised as a special session as the previous session of the House had not been prorogued.

Dhami lauds bill

Ahead of the state of the session, Dhami had said the UCC will be good for all sections of the society.

“Not only Uttarakhand but the entire country was waiting for the UCC. The wait is coming to an end on Tuesday when it will be tabled in the state assembly. The whole country will be watching how the bill is brought in the House here and passed,” Dhami said.

There will be debate on the bill in the house on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Union minister for law and justice Arjun Ram Meghwal on Monday said the Law Commission of India is reviewing the need for the Uniform Civil Code.

“This is not just the issue of the Centre; the makers of the Constitution had discussed this even when the Constitution was being made…Right now, this matter is under consideration with the Law Commission of India and is in the consultation process. The states can fix it or improve it, and the government of Goa has already worked on UCC. The Uttarakhand government has approved this in the cabinet and as soon as we get a report by the Law Commission, we will inform you,” he said.