Thackeray favours UCC but wants to see fine print

A Shiv Sena (UBT) leader, on condition of anonymity, said that Thackeray had told the delegation that the Shiv Sena had been in favour of a UCC right from the time Bal Thackeray founded the party. However, he remarked that the intention of the Modi government in starting a discussion on the UCC was not pure

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) party president Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday told members of the Muslim Personal Law Board (MPLB) that his party supported the uniform civil code (UCC) but needed clarification from the central government on the possible impact of the law on various communities. He also cautioned that this move by the Modi government was aimed at spreading communal tension in the country, and urged them not to succumb to these tactics and work instead for communal harmony.

Mumbai, India – June 24, 2023: Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) chief Uddhav Thackeray speaks during a meeting of party's office bearers and public representatives, at Shivaji Mandir, Dadar, in Mumbai, India, on Saturday, June 24, 2023. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo)

A delegation of the MPLB, under the leadership of Maulana Mehmood Daryabadi and Dr Zahir Kazi, met Thackeray on Wednesday afternoon at Shiv Sena Bhavan in Dadar. MP Arvind Sawant, MP Vinayak Raut and others were present during the meeting. After the meeting, Maulana Daryabadi told the media that Thackeray had listened to their apprehensions. “We discussed our concerns about the UCC with Uddhav Thackeray,” he said. “Thackeray said his party would think about the issues. It’s not just the issue of the Muslim community—there are about 300 different personal laws, and the question is what their fate will be once the UCC is enforced.”

A Shiv Sena (UBT) leader, on condition of anonymity, said that Thackeray had told the delegation that the Shiv Sena had been in favour of a UCC right from the time Bal Thackeray founded the party. “However, he remarked that the intention of the Modi government in starting a discussion on the UCC was not pure,” the leader said. “Thus, Thackeray said that the party needed clarification from the central government on the possible impact of the UCC on various communities. He said that although the party supported the UCC in principle, the way the law was drafted was also important.”

Thackeray cautioned the Muslim delegation that Modi’s move was aimed at polarising the country ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. “The BJP government wants to win the election by spreading communal tension via the UCC,” the Sena (UBT) chief told the delegation. “So we need to work for communal harmony. It is very important to be united to fight against the BJP, which is trying to bring dictatorship into the country. The Muslim community should not succumb to the tactics of BJP.”

Meanwhile Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and deputy chairperson of the legislative council Neelam Gorhe wrote a letter to the Law Commission and demanded that the issue of equal rights to men and women to establish gender equality be included in the UCC. She also urged that the UCC of the Goa government not be considered while preparing the draft of the national UCC, as the Goa act had some limitations.