Uttarakhand: Dhami govt announces Drafting Committee to implement Uniform Civil Code

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami-led government on Friday announced a drafting committee to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state.

The committee is headed by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Desai and retired Delhi High Court judge Pramod Kohli with ex-state chief secretaries Shatrughan Singh, Manu Gaud, and Surekha Dangwal as members.

Speaking to ANI, the chief minister said, "Before elections, we had taken an oath to implement a Uniform Civil Code. During our first meeting after the elections, we passed it with everyone's consensus. Committee will prepare a draft soon and we will implement it immediately."

Earlier today, Dhami confirmed the state government has taken a decision to implement the UCC in the state.

"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," he said.

"We will bring UCC for the people irrespective of them being from any religion and section of the society," Dhami assured during his address in Champawat.

Earlier on May 2, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur also announced that the UCC will be brought into the state soon.

A debate is going on over the UCC in several states of the country. Recently Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma also backed it by saying that the UCC should be implemented in the greater interest of Muslim women otherwise polygamy would continue.

Meanwhile, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) termed it 'an unconstitutional and anti-minorities move', and called the rhetoric for bringing the law an attempt by Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Central governments to divert the attention from the concerns of inflation, economy, and rising unemployment.

Notably, in Bharatiya Janata Party's 2019 Lok Sabha election manifesto, BJP promised the implementation of UCC.

( With inputs from ANI )

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