UCC Bill will be passed in upcoming special assembly session, says Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami

Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday the UCC (Uniform Civil Code) Bill would be introduced and passed during the special session of the assembly beginning from February 5.

“The Committee has given us the date of 2nd February when they would submit their draft (on UCC) to us. After that, the formalities that are needed to make it a law will be taken up. A meeting of the state cabinet will also be held. We will discuss it there too. The assembly session will begin on 5th February. It is a special session for the UCC. The bill will be introduced during the session and will be passed,” he said while speaking to reporters.

Earlier on Saturday, Uttarakhand Minister Premchand Agarwal said a debate on the draft of the UCC could take place in the upcoming state assembly session if the government-appointed expert panel submits it in time.

The state finance and parliamentary affairs minister said another major subject on the agenda of the four-day session, from February 5 to 8, is the passage of legislation granting 10 per cent horizontal reservation to statehood agitationists. Uttarakhand was carved out of Uttar Pradesh as a separate state in 2000.

“We expect the UCC drafting panel to submit its report soon. If we get it in time, a debate on the draft report of the UCC could be on the agenda of this (assembly) session,” he added.

However, the panel headed by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai has been given an extension of 15 days and it is free to submit the draft of the UCC whenever it is ready or thinks it appropriate, the minister said.

Congress’ stand on UCC

On Congress leader Harish Rawat said the UCC is just an “exercise in futility” and an eyewash as different states have different views on it.

Rawat had claimed that several states have reservations about the UCC. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma (a senior BJP leader), is in favour of excluding the tribal community from the ambit of the UCC.

“If different states have different UCCs, the very purpose of having a common law for all sections of society across the country will be defeated,” he had said.

(With agencies inputs)

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