Congress Leaders Deliberate on UCC: Check the Inside Story?

In a private meeting under the leadership of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress leaders made the decision to create a detailed internal report concerning the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC). While the party acknowledges that all laws cannot be uniform, they believe that certain aspects of individual laws can be reviewed. However, Congress refrains from taking a stand on the legislation until the Centre presents a draft.

The UCC aims to establish a common set of laws that would replace customary laws across faiths and tribes, governing areas such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, and maintenance. In the Indian Constitution, the UCC falls under the non-justiciable directive principles of state policy. The Law Commission of India has been examining the matter since June 2016 based on a reference from the Ministry of Law and Justice.

In a 2018 consultation paper, the Law Commission expressed that UCC was not necessary or desirable at that time but invited opinions from the public and recognized religious organizations.

The topic gained renewed attention when Prime Minister Narendra Modi advocated for UCC during a conversation with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) booth workers. He argued that a common law for all citizens was essential to avoid a hypocritical system.

While the BJP has been a strong proponent of UCC, various opposition parties, activists, and communities have opposed it.

Previously, the Congress criticized the Law Commission's move to seek fresh public opinion on UCC, viewing it as the Modi government's attempt to divert attention from its failures and promote polarization.