Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 23 (ANI): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde on Tuesday expressed support for the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), stating that the party maintains a positive stance on the issue.
Shinde said that the demand for a common civil law has long been associated with the ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray and asserted that equal justice for all remains the party's position.
"As I mentioned, the Uniform Civil Code has long been a stance supported by Balasaheb Thackeray; today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also holds a positive view, and the Shiv Sena, too, maintains a positive position regarding the Uniform Civil Code. There is a need for a Uniform Civil Code in the country; everyone should receive equal justice, this is Shiv Sena's position," he told the media.
His remarks come after the Maharashtra Assembly discussed the issue of the UCC along with the safety of Muslim women and implementation of the Triple Talaq law following a notice submitted by BJP MLA Devyani Pharande under Rule 105.
Maharshtra Minister Yogesh Kadam informed the House that a one-member committee headed by a retired High Court judge will be constituted to study the implementation of UCC in the state, after which further action will be taken based on its report.
Reacting to the issue later, Kadam told ANI that steps are being taken towards examining its implementation in the state.
"The Uniform Civil Code should be implemented in Maharashtra. A committee will be constituted to implement the Uniform Civil Code; the CM has issued orders for this, and once the committee is formed, action will be taken to implement it in Maharashtra based on the committee's findings," Kadam said.
Furthermore, Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane also supported the proposal, asserting that constitutional provisions must be implemented in full.
"Those who abide by our Constitution, the very Constitution that mentions the UCC, how can they possibly oppose the UCC? If you accept the Constitution, how can you object to it? If you want Sharia law instead, well, that is not implemented in our country; so, perhaps those who desire Sharia law should move to a country where it is in force. Everything written in our Constitution will be implemented," he told ANI.
On six MPs quitting Uddhav Thackeray's faction and joining the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, he said, "They realised that Uddhav Thackeray has become Uddhav Khan...They decided to follow the path of Hindutva."
Notably, Uttarakhand became the first state to pass a Uniform Civil Code Bill in February 2024, followed by Gujarat in March 2026, while Assam also passed its UCC Bill in May, aiming to create a common civil framework governing marriage, divorce, succession and live-in relationships irrespective of religion.
Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said that the UCC bill will be introduced in the Assembly's monsoon session next month. (ANI)
