In a historic decision, the Uttarakhand government passed the Uniform Civil Code- UCC Bill in the State Assembly in Dehradun on Wednesday. With this, Uttarakhand has become the first state of independent India to enact the UCC Bill. The bill was passed after a discussion that lasted for about ten hours in the Assembly.
Around a ten-hour discussion was carried out in the Uttarakhand Assembly to pass the UCC Bill. While discussing in the House today, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami emphasized that the UCC is not merely a bill but the formula for the unity of the country. He expressed pride for the state in passing the bill in the House and stated that the Uniform Civil Code would grant equal rights to everyone without discrimination in areas such as marriage, maintenance, adoption, inheritance, divorce. Throughout the discussion, the opposition repeatedly demanded that the UCC Bill should be handed over to the Select Committee. The opposition stated that they are not against the UCC but mentioned that some amendments are still necessary in the bill. During the discussion, BJP MLA Munna Singh Chauhan lamented the Congress government’s failure to introduce the UCC law for so many years. He said that the UCC is the need of the hour and Muslim daughters and women are welcoming it. Cabinet Minister Saurabh Bahuguna underscored the UCC as a law safeguarding the citizens’ interest and mentioned that amendments to the bill could be made later if required.
