Is Himachal Pradesh planning to implement the Uniform Civil Code? Jai Ram Thakur, the Chief Minister, responds

*Paromita Das

Following the lead of the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh has expressed a willingness to consider implementing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).
The remarks by the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister come just days after Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya stated that the state government is seriously considering implementing the UCC. “The need of the hour is for one law to apply to all citizens in one country. We must break free from the system of one law for one person and another for another. “We support a common civil code,” Maurya said, adding that the Uttar Pradesh government is “considering this seriously.” “..

Earlier this month, after regaining power, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced that the state had decided to implement the Uniform Civil Code, making it the first state to do so. “We have decided to put the Uniform Civil Code into effect in the state.” The state cabinet unanimously agreed that a committee (of experts) would be formed as soon as possible and that it would be implemented in the state. This will be the first state to do so, according to Dhami.

In the meantime, Thakur commented on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) emerging as a contender in Himachal Pradesh ahead of the Assembly elections later this year, saying, “Himachal Pradesh is a peaceful state.” The AAP’s political style will not work there.