Uttarakhand test lab for Hindutva Iran: Congress's Karti Chidambaram on UCC

Congress leader Karti Chidambaram on Thursday criticised the passing of the Uniform Civil Code(UCC) Bill in the Uttarakhand Assembly and called the state a "test lab for Hindutva Iran."

Credit: X/@KartiPC

The Uttarakhand Assembly on Wednesday passed the Uniform Civil Code Bill which may serve as template for other BJP-run states to enact similar legislation.

The bill was passed by voice vote after a two-day debate in the House which concluded on Wednesday evening.

The opposition's proposal for referring the legislation to a select committee of the House on the ground that they did not get enough time to study its provisions was rejected.

The bill will now be sent to the President for her assent after which it will become a law. Several BJP-ruled states like Gujarat and Assam are keen to model their UCCs on the legislation passed by the Uttarakhand Assembly.

Uttarakhand will become the first state after Independence to get a common law on marriage, divorce, land, property and inheritance for all citizens, irrespective of their religion.

The bill also mandates the registration of live-in relationships. Children born of live-in relationships will be considered legitimate and deserted women will be entitled to maintenance from their partners. The bill effectively bans polygamy and 'halala' practised among a section of Muslims. Marriages, though, can be solemnised through separate rituals, like saptapadi, nikah and anand karaj, followed by different communities.

The UCC Bill applies to the whole of Uttarakhand and to people from the state living outside. "Nothing contained in this code shall apply to the members of any Scheduled Tribes... and the persons and group of persons whose customary rights are protected under the Part XXI of the Constitution of India," the bill says.

Prakash Ambedkar, grandson of Dr B R Ambedkar, noted that the UCC cannot be imposed since the Constitution gives people the right to religious freedom.

(With PTI inputs)