“We will soon meet the home minister to discuss the issue. Only then will we be able to say something,” Jha told ET.
JD(U) is a key NDA ally, and the party has had reservations about the UCC in the past. In 2017, the then chief minister and JD (U) leader Nitish Kumar wrote a letter to the Law Commission, in which he suggested wider consultation on the UCC involving all stakeholders, and that the Centre shouldn’t rush with its implementation.
“Our party has a clear understanding on UCC. When Nitish Kumar was CM of Bihar, he wrote a letter to the Law Commission, and that letter remains our guiding principle. It clearly states that no community should be hurt. The country belongs to everyone. Dr BR Ambedkar gave everyone their rights. We hope that no one feels hurt,” JDU leader Neeraj Kumar told ET. “At present, no draft has been published and nothing has come out officially. No state has taken any decision on this issue.”
LJP (Ram Vilas) leader and union minister Chirag Paswan said the party will state its official position only after reviewing the draft. Paswan also demanded extensive discussion with all stakeholders.
“India’s social fabric is diverse. Every class has its own civic traditions and customs. The Constitution itself has acknowledged this — the Fifth-Sixth Schedule, Articles 371A and 371G and the exemptions granted to Scheduled Tribes in every code so far are proof of this,” Paswan told ET.
“LJP (Ram Vilas) is committed to both equality and diversity. Let the draft be made public, let there be an assessment of the interests of all stakeholders, let there be extensive discussions. After review, the party will state its position.”TDP, another NDA ally, has been non-committal on the UCC. In July 2023, Andhra Pradesh CM Chandra Babu Naidu assured leaders from the minority community that the party did not favour any legislation that would hurt the religious sentiments of certain communities. TDP hasn’t said anything since Shah’s remarks in Mumbai on Sunday.
“We are aware of the statement made by the home minister. Our party will comment on this at the right time,” a TDP spokesperson told ET.
BJP has approached UCC implementation through states rather than pursuing a single central bill considering the unique social structure of different states.
Presently, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Assam and Gujarat have passed the UCC bill in their respective assemblies while Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Rajasthan have either formed committees to prepare a guideline for implementation or have approved a draft in their state cabinets.
