Bill for Equal Citizenship; Presented by BJP MP in Rajya Sabha, Objection by Opposition

New Delhi : A private bill providing for a committee to frame the Uniform Civil Code was tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Friday. Opposition MPs strongly criticized it and opposed the bill.

BJP MP Kirodi Lal Meena introduced the ‘India Uniform Civil Code Bill 2020’ in the Rajya Sabha. Establish a National Monitoring and Investigation Committee for Uniform Civil Code; Also, there is a provision in this bill that it should be implemented across the country on all related issues. Trinamool Congress, MDMK, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Samajwadi Party, CPI, CPI(M), Nationalist Congress Party and Congress opposed the introduction of this bill in the Rajya Sabha. If this bill is passed, the social harmony of the country will be destroyed; Also, the opposition MPs suggested that the unity in the diversity of the country will be affected.

Speaker Jagdeep Dhankhad decided to split the vote when the opposition members demanded to withdraw the bill. 63 votes were cast in favor of introducing this bill, while 23 votes were cast against it. Earlier this bill was also listed for introduction, but it was not introduced in the Rajya Sabha.

The provision that all individual rights should be protected under the same law has been mentioned in this bill. Opposing this, Trinamool Congress’s Jawahar Sarkar said, ‘This private bill is completely illegal, immoral, secular. The central government is using this private bill to create an atmosphere in support of the Uniform Civil Code. This is a dangerous game going on. MDMK MP Vaiko, Indian Union Muslim League MP Abdul Wahab also opposed this bill. Leader of the House and Union Minister Piyush Goyal while replying to all these objections said, ‘It is the right of every member of the House to introduce a private bill. Let the matter be discussed in the House. It is inappropriate to point fingers at the government’s role at this level.’

All-party efforts needed: Gadkari

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, expressing his opinion in favor of the Uniform Civil Code, expressed the hope that there should be an all-party effort for this. ‘If a man marries a woman, it is natural; But if someone is having four marriages, it is unnatural. This is why progressive and progressive Muslims also stay away from it. Quality change should happen in the society. This law is not against any religion or creed. We all should come together and develop the country,’ said Gadkari. Don’t want equal rights for Hindu, Muslim or Sikh women? Which Muslim countries in the world have two laws? If the states oppose any decision of the Centre, it will send the opposite message. That is why all the states and parties should come together and take a decision on this,’ Gadkari also mentioned.