Uniform Civil Code not a religious issue, but issue of rights, justice to women: Prakash Javadekar

The Rajya Sabha member said a common civil code exists in India and it is practised in Goa and Puducherry. “All religions including Muslims are practising without any complaint. When two states of India are practising and giving dignity, rights and justice to women, why are these parties playing politics? This means that these parties do not want women to get rights and dignity,” he added.

Javadekar said the Law Commission has invited suggestions from the public in this regard. All parties and citizens can give their suggestions till July 14. “When such an open democratic process is being observed, why are people opposing it,” he sought to know.

Javadekar said there is a provision for UCC in the Constitution. Article 44 of the Constitution is very clear. The directive principle recommends that there should be one civil law for all the citizens of India. It is essentially about “marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption”.

He said the Directive Principles provided in the Constitution expect that all these principles should be implemented after the passage of time. When the country celebrates 75 years of Independence, it is the fittest occasion for converting the directive principles into law. The Supreme Court has given its emphatic view that the government should make a law as early as possible. In the Shah Bano case, the Supreme Court had observed that it is sad that Article 44 (on UCC) is practically dead. In numerous other important judgments, the Supreme Court has repeated its stand, he said.

The IUML recently opposed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement on UCC and said the party would fight it politically as well as legally.