Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that the BJP plans to implement a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) across India within the next five years if re-elected.
In an interview with PTI, Shah outlined the Modi government’s agenda for its next term, which includes the implementation of ‘One Nation, One Election.’ He said that simultaneous elections would reduce costs significantly.
Addressing the timing of elections, Shah acknowledged the challenges posed by the current summer schedule, suggesting, “We can think over it. If we prepone one election, it can be done. It should be done. This is also the time of students’ vacation. It creates lots of problems too.”
Discussing the UCC, Shah stated, “The UCC is a responsibility left to us, our Parliament, and the state legislatures since independence by the makers of our Constitution.” He cited historical support for the UCC from legal scholars such as K.M. Munshi, Rajendra Prasad, and B.R. Ambedkar, who argued that laws in a secular country should not be based on religion.
Shah pointed to the BJP’s experiment with the UCC in Uttarakhand, where it has been enacted under the state’s majority government. He described the UCC as a social, legal, and religious reform. “The law made by the Uttarakhand government should undergo social and legal scrutiny. Religious leaders should also be consulted,” he added.
He said, “The judiciary’s opinion will also come. After that, the state legislatures and Parliament of the country should think seriously over this and a law must be enacted.”
Regarding the timeline, Shah said, “Five years are a sufficient period,” indicating that the UCC would be implemented within this timeframe.
On the topic of simultaneous polls, Shah confirmed the BJP’s commitment to ‘One Nation, One Election.’ He mentioned the Ram Nath Kovind committee, formed to examine the feasibility of simultaneous elections, and noted, “The time has come that elections should be held simultaneously in the country.”
Shah also discussed the possibility of introducing a bill on simultaneous elections in the next session if the BJP returns to power. “Our resolution is for five years. We will bring it during this period,” he stated.
The BJP’s manifesto for the ongoing Lok Sabha polls highlights Article 44 of the Constitution, which lists the Uniform Civil Code as one of the Directive Principles of State Policy. The manifesto says, “BJP believes that there cannot be gender equality till such time Bharat adopts a Uniform Civil Code, which protects the rights of all women.”
On ‘One Nation, One Election,’ the manifesto notes the establishment of a high-powered committee to examine simultaneous elections and promises to implement its recommendations, including provisions for a common electoral roll for all levels of elections.
