Amit Shah Advocates Uniform Civil Code: India's Next Legal Reform?

The BJP's promise to implement a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) across the country has been reiterated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in an exclusive interview with India Today TV.

It was stated by Amit Shah that if a third consecutive term is secured by the BJP at the Centre, the UCC will be implemented.

Photo Credit: PTI

He argued that no democratic country has personal laws. "Should the country be run based on Sharia? Based on personal law? No country has ever run like that. There are no personal laws in any democratic country in the world. Why is it there in India?" the Home Minister questioned.

Amit Shah further contended that several Muslim countries also do not follow Sharia law. "The times have gone ahead. Now India also needs to move forward," he emphasized.

The implementation of the Uniform Civil Code was highlighted as one of the main poll promises in the BJP's manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections. Amit Shah emphasized that all democratic countries have a Uniform Civil Code, and he stated that it is time for India to adopt the same. He also reminded that the UCC was a promise made by the Constituent Assembly to the country during the drafting of the Constitution, as reported by India Today.

The Congress was criticized by the Home Minister for opposing the Uniform Civil Code. He questioned whether in a secular country, there should not be one law for everyone, calling it the "biggest sign of secularism." He accused the Congress of engaging in politics aimed at consolidating its vote bank and failing to fulfil the promise made by the Constituent Assembly due to "vote bank" politics, as per media report.

Amit Shah mentioned that following the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand, there will be a debate on the law from a "social, judicial, and parliamentary point of view." Uttarakhand became the first state since independence to have a uniform civil code.