Karnataka CM, ‘Seriously’ considering Uniform Civil Code

The Karnataka government is “seriously” considering implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state to ensure equality, chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Saturday.

Bommai was speaking during a programme to mark Constitution Day at Karnataka Vidhana Soudha when he said his government is studying various aspects of UCC.

“As far as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is concerned, we feel the UCC is desirable. The UCC has been part of the BJP’s manifesto at the national level for a long time now,” Bommai said.

“There are already committees formed by different state governments to implement it (UCC). We are also looking into it and studying various aspects and then we will take a call,” he added.

The chief minister reiterated the government’s plans during his address to party workers in Shivamogga.

“We have been talking about the UCC since the time of Deendayal Upadhyay. There is a serious thought going on in the country at the national and state levels. There is also an intention to implement it when the right time comes,” he said.

“We not only explore things that we believe can make people’s welfare possible and bring equality but also take strong measures to implement them,” he added.

The state governments of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh have promised the implementation of UCC so far.

Himachal Pradesh chief



minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit earlier this month, said the state will soon have a draft proposal ready for the implementation of UCC. Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who also addressed the event, said the BJP would honour its commitment on UCC.

Besides UCC, the chief minister also spoke on various issues.

Bommai said the state government has decided to send copies of the Constitution and Karnataka Panchayat Raj Act to libraries in gram panchayats to ensure functioning of the administration according to the law.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the Constitution is his religious book and it is being followed by everyone. The decentralisation of power has taken place but still it has to be done,” Bommai said.

He also assured an “impartial” probe into a case of alleged voter data theft. The state goes to the polls next year.

“Several people have been arrested and officials are being interrogated. The Election Commission of India has decided to revise the voters’ list where deletion of names has occurred, and the government will welcome it,” he said.

“We will welcome certain steps such as rectifying purposeful deletion of names…,” he said.

The chief minister also urged his Maharashtra counterpart, Eknath Shinde, to take action against those who paint state-run KSRTC buses with pro-Maharashtra slogans.