Congress’s top legal minds favour ‘nuanced approach’ on UCC

Sources said the leaders were of the view that the party should take a “nuanced” view on UCC as the issue is layered and complex. The BJP, the leaders felt, would want the Congress to spell out a position in favour or against the UCC, but the party will have to factor in various aspects before taking a position.

The Congress had earlier this month decided to wait for the BJP government to take the next step on UCC and come out with a draft Bill. It had refrained from “rushing in” with its opposition to the idea in the absence of a Bill. The leaders who attended the meeting said the party was opposed to the idea of uniformity and viewed UCC as “an assault on diversity”.

They pointed out that reforms in personal laws can be brought in by amending individual laws. But there are aspects like gender parity, which the party supports.

“We will support aspects like equality of inheritance. But we will oppose the imposition of uniformity. All depends on the government’s intention. We have to see whether the government is sincere when it comes to reforming personal laws or whether it will bring a Bill to target some communities with an eye on elections,” said a senior leader.

Asked how the Congress will take a nuanced position, one leader said, “We can support certain provisions…. but on the whole we will oppose any attempt to impose uniformity as it is against our plural values and the idea of diversity.”

The Congress has been maintaining that the talk about UCC is a “diversionary tactic by the government and an attempt at dog whistle politics”. The party wants to avoid walking into “the BJP trap”.

While the Centre is yet to signal when it will bring a Bill on UCC, the Opposition camp is already divided on the issue, with the AAP and the Shiv Sena (UBT) supporting the idea in principle. The BSP, too, has said it is not opposed to UCC, but argued that it does not support the “way the BJP is trying to implement it”.