Amid stiff opposition, Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar called for a division vote and the motion to introduce the bill was passed with 63 votes in favour and 23 against it.
A ruckus followed in Rajya Sabha after the ruling the Bharatiya Janata Party's Kirodi Lal Meena on Friday tabled the The Uniform Civil Code in India Bill, 2020 in the upper house. Parliamentarians across party lines staged a fervent opposition to the bill.
Three motions were introduced to oppose the UCC bill amid apprehensions that it would disintegrate the country and hurt its diverse culture. These were, however, defeated through votes by 63-23, NDTV reported.
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BJP's quest to enforce UCC
The UCC is a long standing demand for the saffron party and had even figured in the BJP's Gujarat election manifesto. A day after successfully claiming a seventh term in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state, the bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha.
It provides for the establishment of the National Inspection and Investigation Committee, which will formulate and ensure implementation of the Uniform Civil Code in India.
Opposition to the UCC Bill
As per a report on NDTV, one MP objected to the bill noting that it will have wide ramification on people's lives and must be thoroughly reviewed following wide public consultations.
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CPI(M) MP John Brittas referred to a Law Commission report, which said a Uniform Civil Code is neither necessary nor desirable for a country as diverse as India. In the same vein, DMK's Tiruchi Siva said the very idea of Uniform Civil Code is opposed to Secularism.
Samajwadi Party's RG Verma also opposed the bill, saying it infringes fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 26(b) and 29(1) of the Constitution. Article 26 deals with freedom to manage religious affairs while Article 29 provides for protection of the interests of minorities.
About UCC
Simply put, a Uniform Civil Code is one that would provide for one common law for the entire country, applicable to all religious communities in their personal matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption, and the like.
Article 44 of the Indian Constitution, which is a Directive Principle for State Policy, lays down that the state shall endeavour to secure a UCC for the citizens throughout the territory of India.
Earlier in November, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that the state government is moving ahead with a plan to bring about a UCC. With Bommai's statement, Karnataka has become the fourth state where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government has spoken of implementing the UCC in recent months. The other states are Uttarakhand, Assam, and Gujarat.
