BJP's view on Uniform Civil Code should be taken as govt's stand: Rijiju

Union law minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday said in the Lok Sabha that the party's (BJP) ideology on Uniform Civil Code should be taken as the country's ideology.

Union law minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday said the BJP's view on the Uniform Civil Code is clear and that should be considered as the view of the government as well. The law minister's comment came in the Lok Sabha as the debate on Family Courts Amendment Bill was going on. As his comment drew protest from opposition benches that a party's stand can't be that of the government, Rijiju said, "It's only a party that forms a government."

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha last week, the law minister had said there was no decision on the implementation of the Uniform Civil Court as the matter is subjudice. On Tuesday he said, " About Uniform Civil Code, you know what our government's thinking is on it. We want that what is our party's ideology should be taken as the country's ideology."

The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passes a bill to grant statutory cover to family courts in Himachal Pradesh and Nagaland. Rijiju said he would request all state governments to set up one family in every district.

Taking part in the debate, the law minister said it is unfair to blame the government or the judiciary for the pending cases, though it is a matter of concern that the number is increasing. "People question what the government, the law minister is doing. I feel sad. While raising such serious issues like pending cases, people should get into the details first.. Judges work hard ... there are judges who have settled hundreds of cases in a day ... they work from 9am to 9pm," he said adding that the reason for pendency is "something else".

The government has not delayed any appointment of judges to the Supreme Court or high courts, the minister said. If the government does not clear a name for the judgeship, it has a valid reason behind it, he added.

(With agency inputs)