Madhya Pradesh Drafts Uniform Civil Code as CM Mohan Yadav’s Remarks Trigger Political Debate
Chief Minister says only those with one spouse will have the legal right to live in the state, ahead of a key Cabinet meeting on the proposed law.
Political activity surrounding the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC) has intensified in Madhya Pradesh after Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav made controversial remarks ahead of a special Cabinet meeting expected to discuss the draft legislation.
Addressing public gatherings in Tikamgarh and Katni, the Chief Minister said that in the future only those who have one spouse would have the legal right to live in Madhya Pradesh. He strongly supported the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code, a statement that has sparked political debate.
During his speech, Mohan Yadav also compared Lord Ram and Prophet Rahim while questioning why different personal laws should apply to different religious communities. He said that if the law is equal for everyone, there should not be separate legal systems based on religion. He also stated that Muslim women are “our sisters” and that their rights must be protected. This is the second time in three days that the Chief Minister has made similar remarks, having made a comparable statement at an event in Indore earlier this week.
The comments came just a day before a Cabinet meeting in which the draft Uniform Civil Code is expected to be considered. The meeting is being held at Jagdishpur, formerly known as Islam Nagar, near Bhopal. If approved by the Cabinet, the proposed Bill is expected to be introduced during the five day Monsoon session of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly beginning on July 20.
The draft has been prepared by a six member committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai. The committee was constituted on April 27 and submitted its report to the Chief Minister on July 13.
According to reports, the committee has recommended that Scheduled Tribes be kept outside the scope of the proposed law. Scheduled Tribes make up around 21 percent of Madhya Pradesh’s population. The report consists of three volumes with 404 provisions and includes an analysis of more than 9.5 lakh public responses received during the consultation process.
Political observers say Madhya Pradesh could become another BJP ruled state to introduce a Uniform Civil Code after Uttarakhand, with similar discussions also taking place in states such as Gujarat and Assam. The proposal has drawn concern from sections of minority groups and human rights advocates, who argue that changes to personal laws could have implications for religious freedom. The Assembly debate is expected to determine the future course of the proposed legislation.