Heated exchange between advocate, BJP leaders in Surat marks UCC panel meeting

Ansari reportedly told the panel that “implementation of UCC in any single state in the country violates Article 1(3) of the Constitution of India. Implementing UCC will cause a conflict between fundamental rights and directive principles of state policy. Implementing UCC in a particular state is like trampling upon the rights of minorities as guaranteed under Article 25 and 29. Fundamental rights always enjoy primacy over directive principles.”

He is also learnt to have suggested that “India’s cultural diversity should be celebrated, and efforts should be made to reconcile diversity with human rights. Cultural diversity cannot be compromised, and a unified nation does not necessarily need uniformity.”

Sources present at the meeting said that after advocate Ansari shared his stand, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders present raised objections, saying “he had taken too much time”. This caused an uproar and Ansari was reportedly asked to curtail his representation and meet the UCC members later at the Circuit House, which he did, sources said.
Talking to The Indian Express, Gujarat state BJP minority wing president Dr Mohsin Lokhandwala said, “Advocate Ansari took more time (than allotted) in expressing his objection, and several people who were waiting to get their turn to express their views objected to this. The time was too short with only three minutes being given to each. Advocate Ansari took over nine minutes, and there was an uproar in the hall. Later, he was asked to keep quiet.”

On the alks with the UCC committee members, Lokhandwala said, “We put forth our concerns about certain communities where there is a tradition of marrying cousins. They responded by saying that in Uttarakhand, a sub clause had been added in the marriage section, wherein if there is a tradition of marrying cousins in any of the religions, it will not be barred under UCC — provided the marriage is registered.”
Lokhandwala and Mohsin Mirza, another BJP leader, expressed support for implementation of the UCC.

Surat City BJP president Paresh Patel later told mediapersons, “The UCC committee members listened carefully to all the stakeholders and also accepted written objections and suggestions. In addition, the committee gave answers to the objections, and a detailed discussion was carried out. The committee will prepare its report in the coming days. We all will be satisfied with the decision taken by the committee for the betterment of Gujarat.”

Later in the afternoon, the committee members met Muslim representatives from different social organisations in Surat, Vadodara, and Bharuch at Circuit House and accepted their objection letter against UCC implementation in Gujarat.

Other UCC committee members who attended the meeting included retired senior IAS officer C L Meena, Advocate R C Kodekar, former Vice Chancellor of Veer Narmad South Gujarat University (VNSGU) Dr Daxesh Thaker, and social worker Geeta Shroff.

Others present at the meeting included Surat district collector Dr Sourabh Pardhi, Municipal Commissioner Shalini Agrawal, Special Commissioner of Police Wabang Jamir, District Superintendent of Police Hitesh Joyser, VNSGU vice-chancellor Dr K N Chavda, Mayor Daxesh Mawani, BJP MLAs, corporators and organisational leaders from the city, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind president Maulana Arshad Meer, Mufti Tahir Bakaswala, besides Surat Muslim Lawyers’ Association members Javed Multani, Ikbal Malek, Zeba Pathan, and others.