Uttarakhand Government Forms Committee To Prepare Draft on Uniform Civil Code

The committee is headed by retired Supreme Court Justice Ranjana Desai.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.

(Photo: PTI)

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said on Friday, 27 May, that his government had formed a committee to prepare a draft on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state, adding that the government would implement it once the committee submits its report.

"Before elections, we had taken an oath to implement Uniform Civil Code. During our first meeting after elections, we passed it with everyone's consensus. Committee will prepare a draft soon and we will implement it immediately," CM Dhami was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

The committee will be headed by retired Supreme Court Justice Ranjana Desai, while retired Delhi High Court judge Pramod Kohli, ex-state chief secretaries Shatrughan Singh, Manu Gaud and Surekha Dangwal to be members.

"We have taken a decision to implement the Uniform Civil Code in the state. Uttarakhand will be the second state after Goa to implement this," CM Dhami added.

'UCC Applicable to All, Irrespective of Religion'

He also said that the UCC would be implemented for everybody, irrespective of their religion.

This comes after Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur, on 2 May, had said that his government would introduce the UCC in the state.

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma had also claimed that implementing the UCC was in the interests of Muslim women.

However, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has called the introduction of UCC an "unconstitutional" move, adding that it was against minorities in the country.

The body has also said that introducing the UCC is an attempt by several state governments to divert attention from vital issues such as inflation, economy, and high unemployment rates.

(With inputs from ANI.)