Congress holds closed-door meeting on implementation of Uniform Civil Code

The Congress is holding a closed-door meeting of its top leaders to discuss implementation of the proposed Uniform Civil Code in the country, All India Congress Committee sources said on Saturday.

According party sources, senior Congress leaders, including P Chidambaram, Salman Khurshid, Vivek Tankha, KTS Tulsi, Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari, L Hanumanthaiah and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, were present in the meeting.

The Congress has refrained from articulating its stand on the proposed lgislation till the central government comes out with a draft of the same.

Article 44 of the Constitution of India says that the state shall endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) throughout the territory of India.

The UCC proposes a common set of laws dealing with marriage, inheritance, adoption and other matters.

Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong case for the implementation of the UCC at a recent public meeting, several leaders in the Opposition voiced opposition to the proposed legislation.

With regard to a reference sent by the Ministry of Law and Justice on June 17, 2016, the 22nd Law Commission of India examined the subject matter of the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

The 22nd Law Commission of India decided to solicit the views and ideas of the public at large and recognised religious organisations about the Uniform Civil Code, asking interested parties to present their opinions by July 14.

According to noted lawyer Ashish Dixit, the Law Commission can only give suggestions in the form of a report, which are not binding on the government.

If the government is of the view that the time is right to implement UCC, it would require the approval of parliament, he added.