PM Modi supports the Unified Civil Code: How would it impact personal laws from different religions?

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Tuesday endorsement of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in a speech to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) booth-level activists in Madhya Pradesh, the UCC is once again receiving attention. The prime minister asserted that the nation cannot have different rules for its citizens in what is seen as his first public defence of the UCC.

A few Opposition parties and some minority populations did not appreciate Modi's address. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) convened an urgent online meeting to voice its opposition to the common law's intended application.

We examine how the country's personal laws will change as a result of the implementation of UCC.

The Universal Civil Code (UCC) is a proposal for a single national law that would apply to all religious sects in affairs of the individual such as custody, adoption, inheritance, and divorce. Each religion currently has different rules in India. In contrast to Muslims, Christians, and Parsis, Hindus have their own rules regarding marriage, inheritance, and other topics. The UCC wants to change that, though.

In the Constitution, the UCC is mentioned. One of the Directive Principles of State Policy, Article 44 of the Constitution, states that the State shall "seek to establish for people a Uniform Civil Code across the territory of India."

While the Indian Constitution set common law as a goal for the country to pursue,aspire towards; it is not a constitutional or inherent right.

The concept of UCC was discussed by people who established the Constitution, according to PM Modi in his speech.

How did the PM describe UCC?

The UCC has received strong support from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has included it in each of its manifestos since 1998. The common legislation will be implemented in a number of saffron-ruled states, including Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Assam. Now that the PM has openly endorsed it, the issue is probably going to dominate the party's campaign for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

At a BJP event in Madhya Pradesh called "Mera Booth, Sabse Mazboot," Modi spoke to booth-level workers, saying the nation shouldn't have different laws for various segments. "Can one law apply to all members of a household equally? Will that house be habitable? How will the nation run under a dual system then? Let's not forget that the Constitution calls for uniform treatment of all citizens," he continued.

Since becoming office in 2014, Modi has never officially supported the UCC until now.

The opposition was attempting to "instigate" Muslims over the UCC, the PM added. "Most families, including my Muslim brothers and sisters, wouldn't fall behind in school and work, and they wouldn't have to endure a life of challenges, if they truly cared about the wellbeing of Muslims. Bring in a uniform civil code, the Supreme Court has urged on numerous occasions. Yet, those interested in vote-bank politics are the ones making life difficult for our marginalised Muslim family members, he claimed.

The PM's statement comes days after the Law Commission requested opinions on the politically sensitive issue from members of the public and religious organisations. The Center's panel said on June 14 that everyone who is interested and willing can submit their opinions within 30 days.

The Muslim Law Board is opposed to UCC, why?

The Muslim legal board convened a meeting to debate the UCC in response to the PM's statement. It refuted the notion that Modi's lecture and their meeting were related, nevertheless.

Late on Tuesday, AIMPLB made the decision that it will fight any attempt to establish a common law in the nation "tooth and claw."

Chairman of the Islamic Center of India and AIMPLB member Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali stated to Hindustan Times (HT) that the AIMPLB was "chalking up a strategy to resist the intended move of the government by putting our stance in front of the law commission more forcefully." He claimed that in addition to Muslims, the UCC will also have an impact on the country's minority of Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, Jews, and Parsis.

"Every 100 kilometres, the language in India changes. How therefore can there be a uniform set of laws for all communities? Every group practises prayer, rituals, and rites like marriage in a unique way. Everyone has the right to practise their chosen religion and way of life.