Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday challenged the Centre to table a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill in Parliament rather than implementing it piecemeal, arguing that a civil code cannot be termed universal if it applies only to BJP-ruled states.
Reacting to home minister Amit Shah’s assertion that UCC will be rolled out across 21 NDA-governed states by 2029, Abdullah highlighted opposition within the ruling coalition itself, referring to reports that Janata Dal (United) will not permit its implementation in Bihar.
Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, Abdullah echoed the position of National Conference (NC) Rajya Sabha member Shammi Oberoi, maintaining that civil legislation falls strictly within the domain of Parliament.
“If you have the numbers, bring the Bill to Parliament. Why push it through individual states?” Abdullah said. “Not everyone in the NDA agrees. The JD(U) has made it clear it won’t be implemented in Bihar. If their own allies aren’t on board, how can they claim it will cover the entire country? They should table it in Parliament and test whether they actually have the numbers to pass it.”
He said that a nationwide code cannot be decided on a state-by-state basis. “The whole country is not governed by the BJP. Applying it only to BJP-ruled states means it isn’t universal. Decisions of this nature must be made for the nation as a whole, and the entire nation is represented in Parliament, not individual state assemblies. So far, promised key legislations haven’t been brought to the floor. Bring UCC to Parliament and let us see if it passes,” he said.
Addressing foreign policy, the chief minister urged against relying on external validation. “Our foreign policy is our own. We shouldn’t attach too much weight to what other countries say, whether positive or negative, because we cannot cherry-pick. If we celebrate praise today, we lose the standing to tell them not to interfere if they criticise us tomorrow.”
He nevertheless noted the diplomatic significance of the BRICS New Delhi Declaration naming and condemning the Pahalgam terror attack. “Given how many key international partners of Pakistan were in that room, getting Pahalgam mentioned by name in the joint declaration is a clear success for Indian diplomacy,” the CM said.
On reports of Chinese troop reductions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Abdullah welcomed any steps toward de-escalation along the LAC and the Line of Control (LoC). “Anything that reduces tension along the LoC or LAC is positive, especially for residents living near the borders who face immense hardship. Reduced deployments along the LAC are a good step, and we hope situation along the LoC improves similarly over time.”
Mir Ehsan has reported from Kashmir for the past more than 20 years. He is an assistant editor and bureau chief of HT in Kashmir since 2018. Before that he was associated with Indian Express. He has extensively covered Kashmir politics, militancy and developmental issues. He is also a recipient of Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award in 2005.Read More