Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has said the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the hill state was not aimed at appeasing any section or targeting a community, and asserted its implementation would empower all sections of society.
Dhami was speaking to the media in Madhya Pradesh's Indore city on Wednesday after attending a programme organised by the Uttarakhand Sanskritik Sanstha, a local organisation of people originally hailing from the northern state.
He said it was a resolve of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party to implement a Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand and voters have extended their electoral support to the BJP for the measure.
Dhami said those who ruled the country for a long time on the basis of appeasement policy are creating doubts among common people of Uttarakhand about the UCC.
“But the purpose of implementing this code is not to appease any class or to target other classes. This code will be applicable for the empowerment of all sections. After its implementation, reservation of any class, marital rights, customs, etc will not be affected,” the CM assured.
A government-appointed committee, headed by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, has sought suggestions from 2.34 lakh people on UCC during the last one-and-a-half years, while directly meeting 20,000 people from different walks of life, he said.
"The committee is compiling all these suggestions. After compilation, we will move towards implementing the Uniform Civil Code after completing the remaining formalities," Dhami said.
Article 44 of the Constitution provides that the state shall endeavour to secure for the citizens a Uniform Civil Code throughout the territory of India. UCC is supposed to be a common code of personal laws for people of all religions.
Dhami praised the Modi government and said people of all states now want a "double engine" government (BJP in power at the Centre and also in state).
"The central government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is doing a great job," he said.
Dhami claimed the ruling BJP will get a clear majority in the November 17 assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, keeping its "double-engine" government intact in the state.
