Day after Meghwal says UCC still on table, ally JD(U) says only through consensus
Union Minister of State (independent charge) for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal had said on Tuesday that the UCC was still on the government agenda and one must “wait and watch”.
K C Tyagi, national general secretary of JD(U). (File Photo)
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Rolling out the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), which was a part of the BJP’s manifesto, may not be that easy for the government given that the BJP has fallen short of the majority and its current allies have expressed reservation about the proposal in the past.
Union Minister of State (independent charge) for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal had said on Tuesday that the UCC was still on the government agenda and one must “wait and watch”.
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JD(U) national general secretary KC Tyagi told The Indian Express on Wednesday: “(Bihar CM) Nitish Kumar made a submission to the Law Commission in 2017 on UCC. Our stand remains the same. We are not against UCC, but we want it to come through consensus.”
The JD(U), the third biggest party in the NDA, had earlier said that “UCC must be seen as a measure of reform… not a political instrumentality”. The TDP, which is the second biggest ally in the NDA with 16 MPs, has maintained that issues such as UCC must be discussed sitting across the table and resolved.
In his 2017 letter, Nitish had written, “While the State must endeavour to bring in the UCC, such an effort, in order to be enduring and sustainable, must be based on a broad consensus… rather than be imposed by fiat from above.”
In the letter the Bihar CM had underlined that India was a “nation based on a delicate balance in respect of laws and governing principles for different religions and ethnic groups”. He also said that any attempt to impose UCC could lead to “social friction and erosion of faith in the Constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion”.
Nitish had also raised objections to the questionnaire sent by the Law Commission, which he said was framed “to force respondents to respond in a specific manner”.
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TDP leader Nara Lokesh, in a recent interview to The Indian Express, said, “Issues like delimitation, Uniform Civil Code etc will be discussed at length and resolved amicably. We will sit together with partners across the table and try to achieve a consensus on all these issues.”
Meanwhile, the YSRCP, which had a government in Andhra Pradesh until recently, has categorically said it will not support the UCC.
“Even before the elections, our party had clarified that we will not support the UCC. We will support those matters which are in the interest of the country,” YSRCP parliamentary party leader V Vijaysai Reddy said.
The YSRCP’s stand may put pressure on the TDP to take a more clearer stand on UCC as both parties compete for the same electoral space. On BJP’s remove-reservation-for-minorities cry during the elections, the TDP has made it clear it would not do so in Andhra Pradesh.
Nikhila Henry is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Hyderabad. With a career spanning 17 years, she has established herself as an authoritative voice on South Indian affairs, specialising in the complex intersections of politics, education, and social justice.
Experience & Career: Nikhila commenced her journalism career in 2007 as an education correspondent for The Times of India in Hyderabad,where she gained recognition for her coverage of student politics. Her professional trajectory includes a four-year tenure at The Hindu, where she focused on minority affairs and social welfare. In 2019, she took on a leadership role as the South Bureau Chief for The Quint, where she directed regional coverage across all five South Indian states. Her expansive career also includes a tenure at the BBC in New Delhi and contributions to prestigious international outlets such as The Sunday Times (London) and HuffPost India.
Expertise & Focus Areas
Nikhila’s reportage is marked by a deep-seated understanding of grassroots movements and institutional policy. Her core focus areas include:
Regional Politics: Comprehensive analysis of the socio-political dynamics across South India.
Education & Student Movements: Chronicling the evolution of Indian academics and the rise of youth activism.
Minority Affairs: Rigorous reporting on the welfare, rights, and challenges facing marginalized communities.
National Beat: Elevating regional stories to national prominence through investigative and on-ground reporting.
Authoritativeness & Trust
A respected figure in Indian media, Nikhila is not only a seasoned reporter but also an accomplished author and editor. She authored the critically acclaimed book The Ferment: Youth Unrest in India and edited Caste is Not a Rumour, a collection of writings by Rohith Vemula. Her dual background in daily news reporting and long-form authorship allows her to provide readers with a nuanced, historically-informed perspective on contemporary Indian society.
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