Calibrating on UCC

Govt preparing the ground

- RAKESH JOSHI

The three contentious electoral promises which the BJP had made in 2014 and 2019 were the scrapping of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir, construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya and a Uniform Civil Code. With Article 370 having been annulled, a temple well on its course, the UCC remains among the last unfulfilled items central to the Sangh Parivar agenda.

With the Law Commission recently seeking opinion of the public and religious bodies on a UCC, there is growing speculation that the BJP may well be preparing the ground for implementing this electoral promise. Suddenly, there is a flurry of activity on this score. So, will the BJP finally bite the bullet? No one is sure but it dos help the BJP in nurturing the impression that the Modi government is serious about bringing it before the 2024 polls. However, the party is well aware of the obstacles and, will not rush anything through.

The BJP has got signals from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) that it will back the UCC, with the party asking the government in Parliament to begin the process over it. The BJD's support may just be enough for the BJP to get its numbers in order for a Bill.