PATNA: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday made it clear that Uniform Civil Code (UCC) would not be enforced in the state at any cost. The issue has snowballed into controversy following PM Narendra Modi’s recent hints in Bhopal that UCC may be on the cards in next year’s Lok Sabha election.
Nitish gave an assurance to a delegation of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board to that effect during their meeting on Sunday. The delegation met Nitish at the Chief Minister’s residence. State Building Construction Minister Ashok Chowdhary was also present on the occasion.
The delegation of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board urged CM to initiate steps at his own level so that UCC could not be implemented in the country too. The interests of the minorities should be taken care of, members of the delegation said at the meeting.
On this occasion, Nitish assured the delegation that he would make efforts in this direction. The chief minister said that he has already made his opinion regarding UCC clear to the public from the very beginning. He had written a letter to the Centre that UCC should not be implemented in 2017.
Significantly, the delegation comprised people from Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Bihar, including Hazrat Maulana Obaidullah Asadi Sub Sheikhul, Hajis Jamia Arabia Hathora, Banda (UP) and All India Muslim Personal Law Board member Hazrat Maulana Atiqur Rahman Bastavi.
Stating that political parties are trying to mislead Muslims, PM Modi strongly batted for equal rights and UCC enshrined in the Constitution. Modi also dropped a major hint that UCC may be on the cards in the upcoming Lok Sabha election. Toeing lines of Nitish, a senior JD(U) minister Ashok Choudhary had clarified that there was no need for UCC in Bihar.