Dehradun: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami claimed on Saturday that the Uniform Civil Code of Uttarakhand Act is a "constitutional tool" to wipe off caste, religion and gender-based discriminations. He demanded that youths work to counter "lies" being spread about the law, PTI reported.
He defended the mandatory registration of live-in relationships under the code, against which multiple court challenges have been registered, saying the concept is a contemporary reality and not part of the age-old Indian culture. The CM claimed that the provision was only meant to provide live-in couples safety and cited the 2022 brutal murder of Shraddha Walkar by her live-in partner in Delhi as an example of suggesting that such relationships could turn ugly.
Addressing a workshop on the UCC Act at the Dev Sanskriti Vishwa Vidyalaya in Haridwar, Dhami said implementing the law that claimed to be aiming for uniformity in society while ensuring equal rights and responsibilities for all citizens had been the BJP's ideological commitment since the days of the Jan Sangh.
"It is a necessary reform that will benefit the entire society. It is not against any religion or sect and does not target anyone," he claimed and went on to say that the law safeguards the property inheritance rights of women and also protects the rights of children born out of live-in relationships on their father's property.
It empowers women by putting an end to evil practices like 'halal', 'iddat', polygamy and child marriage, Dhami claimed.
"But some people are spreading all sorts of lies, one of which is that registration on the UCC website will help outsiders get domicile certificates. It is an absolute lie, there is no such provision in the law," he said.
Dhami urged the youths in attendance at the workshop at the Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya, a private university, to support the government in busting the "wrong notions" being spread about the law.
"Just like the Ganga that originates in Uttarakhand and gives life to the country, all of India will benefit from the Gangotri of UCC, which has sprung in this state," the chief minister said.
Uttarakhand implemented the UCC Act on January 27, becoming the first state in the country to do so.