AAP says it supports UCC ‘in principle’, pushes for consensus in execution: The TL;DR

The details: “We support UCC in principle. Article 44 also says there should be UCC in the country. But… there should be wider consultation with all religious leaders, political parties, and organisations, and a consensus should be built. Some decisions cannot be reversed, some matters are fundamental to the nation. Authoritarian decisions cannot be taken,” Pathak told reporters on Wednesday.

Some context: The AAP leader’s comment comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi pushed for UCC at a rally in Madhya Pradesh, stirring public debate on the issue. “Today we are witnessing how efforts are being made to instigate people in the name of a Uniform Civil Code. Tell me, if in one house, there is one law for one family member and another for another family member, can that house function?… How can a country function with such a dual system? We must remember that the Indian Constitution also speaks of equal rights for citizens,” the PM had said.

FYI: A UCC would provide for one set of laws for the entire country, meaning that persons from all religious communities will be subjects to the same civil laws in their personal matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption, etc. It was envisioned in Article 44 of the Indian constitution, which states, “The state shall endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code for the citizens throughout the territory of India.

Meanwhile: Some Opposition parties, including the Congress, have accused the PM of “diverting” attention from the BJP-led Centre’s failure on many fronts. Former Union Minister P Chidambaram said that the UCC cannot be forced on people by an “agenda-driven majoritarian government” as it will “widen divisions” among people.

Further, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said, “India’s Prime Minister is now talking about Uniform Civil Code. Are you going to snatch away pluralism, diversity in the name of Uniform Civil Code?”