New Delhi: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, days after he announced that his state will soon implement the Uniform Civil Code.
He, however, did not give a direct reply when asked if the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) was discussed in the meeting. He said the prime minister is already aware of all provisions (of the UCC).
A UCC typically means having a common law for all citizens of the country that is not based on religion. Personal laws and laws related to inheritance, adoption and succession are likely to be covered by a common code.
Dhami noted that the UCC will be implemented in Uttarakhand but not in haste.
The chief minister said he discussed about various infrastructure and developmental projects with Modi, and also extended him an invitation to be the chief guest at the global investors summit proposed to be held in Dehradun in December.
They also talked about assistance for people in Joshimath and the Char Dham Yatra.
Asked if UCC was taken up in the meeting, Dhami said, “He (Modi) knows all about the provisions of UCC. It is his thought that the code should be implemented in the country.”
He said his government is yet to receive a complete draft of the report on the code.
“We will bring it (UCC) soon. We will not delay it nor will we do anything in haste…” he asserted.
Responding to a question on whether tribal groups will be exempted from the common code, the Uttarakhand chief minister said the committee concerned has reached out to various such groups in the state in this regard.
In a video posted on Twitter after the meeting, Dhami called Modi the “flag bearer of ‘Sanatan’ culture”.
“Met the ‘Boss’ of the political world, the most popular leader of the world, the flag bearer of Sanatan culture and the guide of all of us, the honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi today. Presented him a replica of Baba Neeb Karori Maharaj and the rice produced in Uttarakhand,” he said.
The Uttarakhand chief minister also apprised Modi of the progress being made by the state in the fields of start-ups, ease of doing business and boosting investments.
He also sought the Centre’s approval for the Kiccha-Khatima railway station project and requested Modi that its estimated total cost of Rs 1,546 crore be borne by the Union government.
He also sought clearance of a proposal to shift Dehradun’s main railway station to Harrawala station which has been renovated.
Dhami also met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday. They discussed the Char Dham Yatra, the law and order situation in the state, and the preparedness for natural disasters in view of the arrival of the monsoon season.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had promised the implementation of UCC in its manifesto for the 2022 assembly elections in Uttarakhand.
Implementation of UCC has been part of BJP election manifestos, and Modi while addressing BJP workers in Bhopal last month made a strong push for it, asking how could the country function with dual laws that govern personal matters, and accused the Opposition of using the issue to “mislead and provoke” the Muslim community.
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