Panel to submit UCC draft by June 30: Dhami BJP opposes same-sex marriage; Cong skips UCC committee meet
HARIDWAR: Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday said the draft of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) by the expert committee is in the final stage and is expected to be submitted by June 30. He was addressing the concluding day of the twoday Kendriya Margdarshak Mandal meeting of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) at Krishna ashram in Kankhal.
He said, “After the committee submits the UCC draft, the state government will speedily implement it to become the first state in the country having a uniform civil code for all residents, religions, and sects.”
“It’s a matter of pride that Uttarakhand will be a model state in implementation of UCC. The committee will finalise the drafting work by the end of next month and will submit it to the state government. It’s 90% done,” he said, adding that they were quite serious about the UCC as they have been on the issue of forceful conversions.
Meanwhile, Vishwa Hindu Parishad vice president and Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Nyas Kshetra general secretary Champat Rai stated that by the end of this year, the statue of Lord Ram in the form of a 5-year-old child will be established on the ground floor of the temple at Ayodhya. “The construction work is going satisfactorily and Lord Ram temple at Ayodhya will be one of its kind in terms of artistry and monumental architecture. The grand temple will stand on 392 pillars. Sand, iron, and cement are not being used. Traditional and ancient architecture is being followed to give Lord Ram temple a unique look,” said Champat Rai.
VHP will carry out a major drive across the country from November for the homecoming of Hindus, who were either forced or lured to get converted to other religions, he said.
“Pre and post Deepawali for two weeks, our activists and saints will reach out to such people and families urging them to return to Hinduism. Sanatan Dharma is in danger and we need to take up the mantle,” said the working president of VHP Alok Kumar. Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad president Mahant Ravindra Puri of Mahanirvani Akhada lauded the “antiland jihad” campaign by the state government. Puri said the government has taken a right step to rein in illegal encroachments being done deliberately by a specific community. He, however, sought exemption from demolition drive from the state government on temples and Hindu religious-spiritual structures which are more than 50 years old. The tenure of the expert committee was recently extended by four months. The Uttarakhand government on May 27, 2022, had constituted a five-member draft committee headed by Ranjana Desai for preparing a draft for the implementation of UCC in the state.
According to the committee, they received approximately 225,000 suggestionson various subjects, including marriage, divorce, property rights, succession/inheritance, adoption, maintenance, custody and guardianship. On New Year’s Eve, Dhami said his government would implement a Uniform Civil Code in the state in 2023. BJP, during the 2022 state assembly polls, promised implementation of the UCC if they are voted to power.
DEHRADUN: In the discussion with the committee for implementation of Uniform Civil Code (UCC) on Thursday, the state unit of Bharatiya Janata Party said it was against giving legal recognition to same-sex marriages and live-in relationships.
The BJP panel led by former state vice president Dr Devendra Bhasin said the party was in favour of UCC since it was in accordance with the Constitution and directions of the Supreme Court.
BJP in an official statement said, “Since citizens are the first base of the country and society, therefore the determination of their rights is an important issue. These rights should be based on the fundamental principle of unity and integrity of the country.
“Culture and heritage of the country and state should also be kept in mind while deciding the rights of the citizens so that they do not have a negative impact on the basic identity of India and Uttarakhand. The UCC should create a sense of equality in every section of the society and does not convey that any particular class or community has exclusive rights,” Bhasin said.
The BJP said it believes in theory and practice that the rights of women should be equal to that of men and women should not be seen as neglected or secondary in any class.
“They should have equal rights with men in property, they should get equal rights in the maternal family from childhood and then in-laws after marriage.
Similarly, in the case of divorce, the rights that men have, women should also have the same rights. The evils in the name of religion or tradition in marriage, divorce or other social matters should be removed. The registration process for marriage should be simplified and it should made mandatory. Also, action should be taken against those who do not register their marriage.”
It further said the party was against any kind of discrimination on the basis of religion.
“It is necessary to stop illegal conversions. If any person wants to convert voluntarily, the administration should ensure that the conversion is not happening due to pressure, greed or threats or any other such reasons. Its permission should be given only after complete verification,” the BJP said.
If any group or individual wants to build a religious place, then on the basis of a prescribed procedure and justification, the construction should be done only after permission from the competent authority and following the rules of construction of the building, the party said.
Meanwhile, the opposition Congress said they had sought draft details and background from the UCC committee upon receiving an invitation for discussion. However, the committee didn’t provide them with the sought information, because of which they skipped the meeting.
Karan Mahara, state Congress president, said, “I had also received information from the UCC committee for discussion. I sought draft details and background from the UCC committee upon receiving an invitation. However, despite repeated communication, the committee didn’t provide us with the sought information. The party then decided not to send anyone for representation.”
THE BJP SAID IT BELIEVES IN THEORY AND PRACTICE THAT THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN SHOULD BE EQUAL TO THAT OF MEN AND WOMEN SHOULD NOT BE SEEN AS NEGLECTED OR SECONDARY IN ANY CLASS.