PIONEER NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The Bharatiya Janata Party has termed the success of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Uttarakhand as a reflection of public approval. The party’s State president and Rajya Sabha MP Mahendra Bhatt expressed satisfaction over the data related to the implementation of UCC in Uttarakhand. He said that the new legal structure in the State has received full acceptance from the people and can potentially become a model for the entire country. Bhatt stated that the experiences presented by chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the UCC implementation inspire confidence. He pointed to data regarding more than 1.5 lakh applications being received under UCC in a four-month period to support the claim that people across the State have accepted the new law. Bhatt said that participation from nearly all villages in the State indicates that residents are adopting a common legal code in practice. He said that the government and society together have ended legal distinctions based on religion, caste, gender and region through UCC. He added that the collective effort of the State is now showing results and that this development has attracted national and international attention. Bhatt expressed hope that the implementation of UCC in Uttarakhand would influence other states. He said that several states are studying the Uttarakhand UCC draft and suggested that the law could expand to the rest of India. According to him, UCC will not only simplify legal processes for the general public but also fulfill the vision of the Constitution’s framers. Bhatt also urged the Congress and other opposition parties to change their stance on the issue. He said the data clearly shows that people have expressed support for the UCC. He appealed to the opposition to move beyond central leadership’s views and contribute to the implementation of UCC in the interest of the State.
