Ahead of polls in Gujarat, BJP govt plans to introduce Uniform Civil Code
Ahmedabad/IBNS: Weeks before Gujarat is scheduled to hold elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state has said it plans to introduce a Uniform Civil Code, a contentious issue for Muslims that does away with religion-based laws.
The move has been slammed by the opposition as a gimmick to increase the votes of the Hindu majority.
The Gujarat government has proposed a committee led by a retired High Court judge to examine how such legislation can be implemented.
A civil code is widely believed to be the domain of the centre rather than the state.
"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has taken a historic decision in the Cabinet meeting today - of forming a committee for implementing the Uniform Civil Code in the state," said Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi.
AAP supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also criticized the move.
"His intention is bad. Article 44 of the Constitution clearly states that it is the responsibility of the government to enforce the Uniform Civil Code. So the government should make a Uniform Civil Code.
It should be made in which there is the consent of all the communities, Uniform Civil Code should be made by taking all the communities together," Kejriwal said.
Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in Gujarat later this year.
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