UCC is a ‘Constitutional requirement’: CM

“The Constitution contains the Directive Principles of State Policy, which talk about the UCC. Thus, it is the constitutional responsibility of every state,” Fadnavis said on Tuesday

MUMBAI: Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has defended the state government’s decision to draft a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), saying the Constitution directs states to work towards implementing such a law.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis (PTI)

“The Constitution contains the Directive Principles of State Policy, which talk about the UCC. Thus, it is the constitutional responsibility of every state,” he said on Tuesday. He acknowledged that the Directive Principles are not enforceable by courts, unlike Fundamental Rights, as their implementation requires time and consensus among people.

The statement, on Tuesday, came in response to AIMIM chief Asaduddin Oawaisi’s claim that the UCC is an attempt to impose a ‘Hindu Civil Code’ on non-Hindus, adding that the proposed law is unconstitutional. “If Owaisi had read the Constitution a little, he would not have said that we are bringing this outside its framework or considering ourselves bigger than the Constitution,” Fadnavis added.

The chief minister also commented on the CBI taking over the Disha Salian death case, which involved several high-profile individuals. He said the CBI is investigating on the court’s directions. The case was earlier probed by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up by the Mumbai Police, which found no foul play in the death of the 28-year-old celebrity manager.

“The report was prepared on the basis of the material available with the Mumbai Police. The investigation began much later. Because of the delay, the police could investigate on the basis of the evidence available to them,” he said. The court found certain deficiencies in the report and, therefore, directed the CBI to conduct an inquiry, he added. The court’s directions came on a petition filed by Salian’s father, who has alleged that his daughter was sexually assaulted and murdered.

Fadnavis also played down the firing incidents allegedly involving the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, describing them as attempts to create fear among people. “These are not a big issue. The Mumbai Police force has no parallel in its professionalism. All those involved in the firing incident targeting Tiger Shroff have been arrested. Even the main handler operating the gang, who had arranged three to four shootings, has been arrested abroad. Arrangements are being made to arrest another person abroad soon,” he said.