NEW DELHI/LUCKNOW/CHANDIGARH: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a fervent pitch for the nationwide implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) extended its ‘in-principle support’ to the UCC while the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and the Shiromani Akali Dal opposed the move and said they will present their views before the Law Commission.
UCC refers to a common set of laws applicable to all citizens regardless of their religion and deals with marriage, inheritance and other personal matters.
The AAP said while it supports the UCC, the code should be brought in with a consensus after consultations with all stakeholders including political parties and non-political entities.
“Some issues can’t be reversed in future; some are fundamental issues so it is not correct to adopt an authoritarian approach. There should be consensus. If you implement it without consensus, it will upset and anger a large number of people,” said AAP national general secretary (organisation) Sandeep Pathak.
The Aam Aadmi Party’s announcement comes at a time when most opposition parties have come out against the very idea of UCC and show the chinks in opposition unity ahead of the 2024 elections.
PM Modi had on Tuesday made a strong push for UCC, asking how the country can function with dual laws that govern personal matters.
Reacting to the PM’s viewpoint on the code, the AIMPLB said it will oppose any such plan.
“AIMPLB will oppose the Uniform Civil Code tooth and nail. We are chalking out a strategy to counter the proposed move of the government by presenting our view in front of the Law Commission more powerfully,” said AIMPLB member Maulana Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahali.
The AIMPLB had called an urgent online meeting late on Tuesday night, where members came to the conclusion that the UCC is neither necessary nor beneficial to the country in any way. Maulana Khalid also questioned the timing of the PM’s announcement ahead of the 2024 general elections.
Meanwhile, the BJP’s former ally Shiromani Akali Dal said rushing the UCC could harm the social fabric and the concept of unity in diversity.
“Not just minority communities, tribal societies that have their own personal laws will also be affected,” said senior SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema. He said if a clause in a particular personal law is discriminatory, then that may be amended rather than forming a UCC for the entire country.