E-Paper
Uniform Civil Code: Sec 144 to be in force around U’khand assembly during session
The Congress has asked the Uttarakhand government to make public the draft report submitted by the committee formed for the Uniform Civil Code
The Dehradun district administration has imposed Section 144 CrPc within a radius of 300 metres of the Uttarakhand assembly building during the House session beginning from February 5 to 8. A Bill on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is expected to be tabled during the session on February 6.
The five-member committee formed for UCC submitted its draft report to chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami at his residence on Friday. The report was handed over to the CM by Ranjana Desai, a retired judge of the Supreme Court and chairperson of the Committee. Other members of the committee who were present included Pramod Kohli, retired judge, Manu Gaur, social activist, Shatrughan Singh, retired IAS officer, and Surekha Dangwal, vice-chancellor, Doon University.
The committee has been studying relevant laws regulating personal civil matters of residents of Uttarakhand to prepare the draft and suggest changes in existing laws on the subject that include marriage, divorce, property rights, succession/inheritance, adoption, maintenance, custody and guardianship.
The decision for prohibitory orders was taken to maintain law and order in anticipation of protests and demonstrations by various organisations.
According to the directions issued, five or more people will not gather at any public place, intersection or other place within the said area.
No procession/demonstration or public meetings of any kind can be organised without a prior permission from the authorities concerned.
Any kind of sloganeering, use of loudspeakers, writing slogans on government buildings, and dissemination of “misleading literature” will also be prohibited.
“Violation of the order will be punishable under Section 188 of Indian Penal Code (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant),” Dehradun district magistrate Sonika said.
Earlier, on Friday, additional director general of police (law and order) AP Anshuman had directed the district police in charges (SSPs and SPs) to be on alert in view of the possibility of protests, and demonstrations by some organisations against the introduction of UCC in the state assembly on February 6. The senior cop said timely action should be taken by district police in charges in their respective districts to identify such organisations by activating the informer system.
Anshuman had said, “In addition to the police/PAC forces available in the districts, the police force made available to Dehradun district should be properly utilised to maintain law and order during the assembly session.”
He added that only people with passes should be allowed to enter the Vidhan Sabha complex after proper checking/frisking, and barricading should be done daily at major places, including inside and outside the Vidhan Sabha complex.
Dehradun senior superintendent of police (SSP) Ajai Singh said, “Stringent security measures were implemented in and around the Vidhan Sabha complex in anticipation of the protests by some organisations. No anti-social element will be allowed to disturb law and order.”
Meanwhile, an all-party meeting was called by Vidhan Sabha Speaker Ritu Khanduri Bhushan on Sunday for the smooth conduct of the session.
Bhushan said, “I called an all-party meeting for the smooth and peaceful conduct of the session beginning tomorrow and sought cooperation from both treasury and opposition benches.”
Asked about UCC, she said, “I am an advocate of UCC. Being a woman, I totally believe that anybody needs this law are women of all castes and religions. I am extremely happy that Uttarakhand will be the first state in the country to pass the UCC after Independence. It is a proud moment. We all must be happy that we once again have been given the responsibility to give something to this large country that will set the ground for one law for the nation.”
Yashpal Arya, senior Congress leader and leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Uttarakhand assembly, said, “The committee constituted by the state government on UCC has submitted its draft to the chief minister. Neither the draft report has been made public nor has the chief minister given any official statement. It will be too early to comment on UCC and comprehend the government’s intention without examining the report.”
“The committee wasn’t formed on the orders of the Vidhan Sabha. Therefore, the government should have made the UCC draft report public to allow the people of the state to study the committee’s report and provide their feedback on it. We can only react on the issue if the state government tables the bill on UCC during the upcoming session,” he said.
