Indore, July 23 (IANS) A day after the Madhya Pradesh Assembly passed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Thursday mounted a strong defence of the legislation, asserting that it had widespread public support and would ensure equal rights for citizens across communities.
CM Yadav’s remarks came amid continued criticism from the opposition Congress, which has accused the BJP of using the UCC for political and ideological purposes.
Addressing reporters during his visit to Indore, the chief minister said the state government had undertaken extensive public consultations before introducing the Bill in the Assembly.
“We reached out to more than 3.5 crore people across the state and received around 10 lakh suggestions. The legislation has been drafted after taking public opinion into account and is aimed at ensuring equal rights for every citizen,” he said.
CM Yadav said the UCC would bring matters such as marriage, divorce, maintenance, succession and inheritance under a common legal framework applicable to all citizens, irrespective of their religion.
“The law will apply equally to Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Parsis and all other communities. It is a step towards ensuring equality before law and protecting the rights of every citizen,” he said.
The chief minister linked the legislation to the vision of the country’s freedom fighters and credited the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre for pursuing long-pending reforms.
“I congratulate the people of Madhya Pradesh on the passage of the UCC Bill. Revolutionaries such as Chandrashekhar Azad and Bhagat Singh dreamt of an India where every citizen would enjoy equal opportunities and live under one common law. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, that vision is becoming a reality,” the Chief Minister said.
The UCC Bill was passed by the Madhya Pradesh Assembly on Wednesday after a marathon debate.
The ruling BJP described it as a historic reform aimed at ensuring uniform civil laws and gender justice, while the Congress party opposed the legislation, alleging that it was driven by the BJP’s ideological agenda and failed to reflect India’s pluralistic traditions.
During his visit, CM Yadav inaugurated a lane of the Lav Kush Level-2 Bridge in Indore and said the city continued to set new benchmarks in infrastructure development, describing the double-decker bridge as an example of modern engineering.
–IANS
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