Senior Congress Leader Salman Khurshid seeks clear definition of Uniform Civil Code from the government

Amid the increasing debate and discussion over Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in India, Senior Congress leader and former union minister Salman Khurshid has asked the government to clearly give the definition of UCC.

“They should tell me what UCC is? In the Constitution, there is a mention of the Uniform Civil Code that there will be an attempt to apply a uniform civil code, but a definition is never clear and what will be the impact. The Govt never said it would implement the Hindu code when it talks about Uniform Civil Code. The better practice of any religion is applied, whether it is Christianity, Islam, or other religion. They should tell us what is the definition of UCC then only we can react,” he told the media. The Senior politician also raised doubts about the working style of the government, accusing the Centre of spreading discrimination in the society and said there exists a possibility of similar treatment in the case of UCC.

When asked about the situation inside the INC party and its future course of action, he backed for the Gandhi family by calling them an important centre for the Congress party and its future. His comment comes at a time political strategist Prashant Kishore has declined the Congress Party’s offer to join the party. “Nobody knows the future, but the current reality is that Congress party’s stability is dependent on faith which we have in Gandhi family. We do not hesitate to say that the Gandhi family is an important center for Congress and its future,” he said.

The Uniform Civil Code is a proposal in India to implement and formulate personal laws of citizens which apply to all citizens equally irrespective of their sex, gender, religion, or sexual orientation. UCC comes under Article 44 of the Constitution, which talks about how the state shall endeavor to secure a Uniform Civil Code/UCC for the citizens throughout the territory of India. BJP, in its 2019 Lok Sabha election manifesto, has promised the implementation of UCC if voted to power.