Bihar UCC Row: JD(U) Says It Will Study Draft Before Taking Stand As BJP Backs Implementation

Patna: A day after a senior JD (U) leader created a political storm by asserting that Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will not be enforced in Bihar, deputy chief minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary on Tuesday sought to soften the JD (U)’s stand on the UCC implementation by stating that the party would thoroughly study the provisions of the proposed legislation and would not oppose for no reason if its provisions are found to be unexceptionable.

JD(U) seeks detailed review

While talking to reporters, Chaudhary said that the JD(U) was part of the ruling NDA in Bihar and that any decision on the UCC would be taken only after discussions with the alliance partners. He said the complete draft of the proposed law was yet to be made public and hence it would not be appropriate to form an opinion in haste. “If our party has any concerns regarding the provisions of the law, they would be brought to the attention of Union Home Minister Amit Shah,” he added.

Meanwhile, deputy chief minister and senior BJP leader Vijay Kumar Sinha invoked the principle of "Ek Nishan, Ek Pradhan, Ek Vidhan" (One Flag, One Prime Minister, One Constitution), while backing UCC implementation in Bihar. He asserted that a unified law promoted the idea of "Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat" (One India, Great India).

Earlier remarks sparked debate

On Monday, senior JD(U) leader Shyam Rajak asserted that the party was against the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Bihar, despite having supported the UCC Bill in Parliament.

Rajak's remarks came a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the UCC would be implemented in 21 NDA-ruled states by 2029.

"Our stand on the issue was made clear by our leader (Nitish Kumar) way back. He had said that although our party supported the UCC Bill in Parliament, it was not in favour of implementing it in Bihar," Rajak said.

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Alliance partners discuss stand

Asked whether the JD(U)'s position would leave any political impact, Rajak contended the BJP-led NDA government was dependent on its allies.

"The chief minister may be from the BJP, but the government is being run with the help of allies... our stand is clear. The question of implementing UCC in Bihar does not arise," he said.

JD(U) national spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan Prasad said national working president Sanjay Kumar Jha would hold discussions with Shah on the matter.