Amid Strong Buzz Over UCC, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami Meets PM Modi, Says 'It Will Be Implemented Soon'

CM Dhami said though he hadn't received the final UCC draft, but he wouldn't delay the process of its implementation.

New Delhi: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and later assured that a Uniform Civil Code will soon be implemented in the state, even as he denied having any direct discussion with the PM on the topic. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, C Dhami said he has invited the PM to visit Uttarakhand. The Chief Minister said he also discussed the issue of assistance for the people affected in the Joshimath, Char Dham Yatra, and the increase in Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection in the state among other issues.

Chairperson of Uttarakhand UCC Drafting Committee, Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, also accompanied Chief Minister Dhami, who completed two years as the head of the hill state on Tuesday.

CM Dhami's meeting with PM Modi comes amid the raging debate over the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code in the country. Sources said that the Uttarakhand Civil Code Draft might become the template for the Centre's law.

When asked whether the UCC was also a topic of discussion, CM Dhami evaded a direct reply by saying the PM is already aware of all the details. "He knows all about the provisions of UCC. It is his thought that UCC should be implemented in the country," Dhami said.

He said the state government has not received a complete draft of the report on the code yet. "We will bring it (UCC) soon, we will not delay it, nor will we do anything in a hurry so that there are shortcomings..." Dhami said.

Asked if Tribal groups will be exempted from the common code, the Chief Minister said the committee has reached out to different tribal groups in the state.

Commenting on his meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah earlier, CM Dhami said they discussed the Char Dham Yatra, the law and order situation in the state, and preparedness for natural disasters in view of the arrival of the monsoon. CM Dhami had on Sunday said that the expert committee examining the UCC would soon submit the draft.

"As per the promise made to the state's people, today on June 30, the committee formed to prepare the draft of the Uniform Civil Code has completed its work. Soon, the Uniform Civil Code will be implemented in Devbhoomi Uttarakhand. Jai Hind, Jai Uttarakhand!" he said in a tweet.

BJP's UCC Push Ahead Of 2024 Polls

In its manifesto for the 2022 assembly elections in the state, BJP had promised to bring a UCC. Implementation of a UCC has been part of BJP election manifestos and Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing BJP workers in Bhopal last month made a strong push for it, asking how can the country function with dual laws that govern personal matters, and accused the Opposition of using the issue to "mislead and provoke" the Muslim community.

Uttarakhand is already in the process of implementing its common code.