After Union Home Minister Amit Shah's assertion that a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will be implemented in all states ruled by the NDA before 2029, key allies TDP and Shiv Sena on Tuesday backed the BJP's position, while JD(U) adopted a more cautious stance.
The support of the three allies is significant for the Narendra Modi government, with the TDP having 16 Lok Sabha MPs, Shiv Sena 13 and JD(U) 12.
The TDP is in power in Andhra Pradesh along with the Jana Sena Party and BJP, while the BJP shares power with JD(U) in Bihar and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra.
TDP Andhra Pradesh president P Srinivasa Rao said his party, as an NDA partner, would abide by Shah's statement on the UCC.
"Yes, I have seen our Union Home Minister's statement on UCC and as NDA partners we are bound to go by his statement," Rao, who represents the Gajuwaka Assembly constituency, told reporters in Amaravati.
While acknowledging criticism of the proposed law, Rao said the UCC would strengthen national unity and would not introduce significant gender bias.
"And critics, of course, some say that it (UCC) infringes on religious freedom. Our country is culturally diverse. But we always think that this UCC will strengthen and unify the country," he said.
"So, we will be going by our home minister's statement being NDA partners," he added.
JD(U), meanwhile, gave a guarded response, saying it would study the UCC Bill before taking a position and would "not oppose it for no reason".
Shiv Sena also backed the BJP's position, adding to the growing support within the NDA for Shah's assertion that the UCC would be implemented across NDA-ruled states before 2029.
CPI(M) state secretary V Srinivas Rao, however, claimed that the BJP is resorting to UCC politics to divert the country's attention as it is "facing heat from the new generation (Gen Z) due to unemployment" and other reasons, especially in the backdrop of the recent Jantar Mantar student protest movement.
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary also said the JD(U) will study the Uniform Civil Code Bill and will "not oppose it for no reason" if provisions are unexceptionable.
The former state JD(U) president made the statement while addressing a press conference at the party office. He was replying to queries about the political turbulence that has ensued after Shah's assertion that UCC will be implemented "across 22 NDA-ruled states by 2029".
On Monday, senior JD(U) leader and Phulwari Sharif MLA Shyam Rajak had spoken out strongly against the UCC, claiming that he was expressing a view in line with the stand taken earlier by party supremo Nitish Kumar, who had told the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, "we will support the Bill in Parliament but are opposed to its implementation in Bihar".
Chaudhary, however, maintained that "there is no reason to make haste in the matter" and pointed out that "our national working president Sanjay Kumar Jha has said that he will hold talks on the issue with none other than the Union home minister".
"As of now, we are not aware of the details of the legislation on UCC. Let it be placed before us. If we find there is nothing objectionable, why shall we oppose it without any reason? And if there are points of concern, these will be conveyed to the Union Home Minister," he said.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena president Eknath Shinde backed Shah on the UCC issue, saying Sena founder late Bal Thackeray had envisioned the common law for all.
"Hinduhridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray's vision was 'one country, one law' with equal justice for all. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has also stated the same position on UCC," Shinde said.
He added that the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra remains positive about the Uniform Civil Code and will make a definitive decision at an appropriate time.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said the state government would implement the UCC once the committee preparing the draft bill submitted its report.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the BJP should introduce the UCC Bill in Parliament if it has the numbers to pass it, instead of pushing it through individual states, and claimed the BJP's allies also have reservations.
"If you have the numbers, bring it to Parliament. Why are you doing it through different states? Anyway, within their own NDA, not everyone agrees with this. According to the news, Janata Dal (United) raised their hands and said this won’t be implemented in Bihar,” Abdullah told reporters here.
The National Conference leader said the BJP should not bring the UCC “through the backdoor”.
"The way their own allies are not in favour of it, I don’t think they will be able to get it passed in Parliament. That is perhaps why they are taking this route,” he added.
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi said in Bhopal that if the NDA constituent parties such as the JD(U) and TDP have "the slightest disagreement" with the BJP's ideology, they should oppose the Uniform Civil Code.
The UCC was being introduced in various states with the aim of "targeting" India's 18 crore Muslims, and the real objective of the BJP and RSS was to "dismantle" the protections guaranteed (to religious minorities) under Articles 25, 26, and 29 of the Constitution, he alleged.
Owaisi said it would be a different matter if the NDA allies had aligned themselves completely with BJP's ideology. "But if they still have even the slightest difference with the BJP, they should oppose it (UCC)," he said.
Addressing a press conference in Mumbai on Sunday, Shah had said, "Triple talaq has been abolished, giving Muslim women equal rights. We have introduced UCC in several states, and I am confident that in the 21 BJP-NDA-ruled states, we will introduce the UCC before 2029."
(With inputs from PTI)