Congress' Salman Khurshid seeks clear 'definition' of UCC from Centre

New Delhi: Amid the debate over Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the country, Senior Congress leader and former union minister Salman Khurshid on Wednesday demanded a clear definition of the concept from the Centre.

"They should tell what is Uniform Civil Code? In the Constitution, there is a mention of UCC that there will be an attempt to apply a uniform civil code but a clear definition is never clear and what will be the impact. The government never said it will implement the Hindu code when it talks about UCC. The better practise of any religion is applied whether it is Islam, Christianity or other religion. They should tell us what is the definition of UCC then only we can react," Mr Khurshid told ANI.

While the UCC finds a mention in Article 44 of the Constitution which reads, "The State shall endeavour to secure for the citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India", it is not binding being a part of the Directive Principles of State Policy in the Constitution. Speaking to the media on Wednesday, the former Union Minister contended that a UCC should ideally contain the best practices from all religions.

The Congress leader raised doubts about the working style of the government alleging that it has spread discrimination in the society and said there is a possibility of similar treatment in the case of UCC.

Uttar Pradesh Minister of State for Minority Welfare and Wakf Affairs Danish Ansari said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state will take steps towards implementing the Uniform Civil Code by holding discussions under quami chaupal.

Notably, the Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh has said a "high-powered" expert committee will be formed to prepare a draft Uniform Civil Code (UCC) for the state.

Further, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Monday also said that the issue of implementation of UCC is being examined in the state.

Meanwhile, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Tuesday termed the Uniform Civil Code 'an unconstitutional and anti-minorities move', and called the rhetoric for bringing the law an attempt by Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Central governments to divert attention from inflation, economy and rising unemployment.

AIMPLB appealed to the Centre to not undertake the Uniform Civil Code.

The Uniform Civil Code is a proposal in India to formulate and implement personal laws of citizens which apply to all citizens equally regardless of their religion, sex, gender and sexual orientation. Currently, the personal laws of various communities are governed by their religious scriptures.

The code comes under Article 44 of the Constitution which lays down that the state shall endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code for the citizens throughout the territory of India.