NEW DELHI: Union home minister
Amit Shah
on Sunday said that if the BJP is re-elected to power, a
Uniform Civil Code
(
UCC
) will be implemented nationwide within the next five years, following extensive consultations with all stakeholders. He said that the five-year period is sufficient for this purpose.
In an interview with PTI, Amit Shah also mentioned that the Modi government, in its next term, will work towards implementing the ‘
One Nation
,
One Election
‘ system, as the time has come for simultaneous elections in the country.
He added that holding elections simultaneously will also reduce costs.
Regarding the possibility of shifting elections to a different time of the year, such as winter, instead of the current practice of holding them during the scorching heat, Shah said, “We can think over it. If we prepone one election, it can be done. It should be done. This is also the time of students’ vacation. It creates lots of problems too. Over time, the election (Lok Sabha) gradually moved to this period (during summer).”
Speaking about the UCC, the Union home minister emphasized that it is a responsibility left to the government, Parliament, and state legislatures by the makers of the Constitution since independence. He referred to the guiding principles set by the constituent assembly, including the UCC, and cited legal scholars like K M Munshi, Rajendra Babu, and Ambedkar Ji, who had advocated for laws not based on religion in a secular country.
Shah mentioned that the BJP has already implemented the UCC in Uttarakhand, where it has a majority government, as it falls under the jurisdiction of states and the Centre. He stressed the importance of extensive debate, consultation with religious leaders, and consideration of social, legal, and judicial opinions before enacting a law at the state and national levels.
The BJP manifesto for the ongoing Lok Sabha polls has reiterated the party’s commitment to implementing the UCC, believing that gender equality cannot be achieved without it.
The manifesto also promises to work towards the implementation of the recommendations of the high-powered committee set up by the Modi government to examine the issues related to simultaneous elections and to make provisions for a common electoral roll for all levels of elections.
