The Bihar government on Tuesday refused to accept the 16-point questionnaire on Uniform Civil Code (UCC) sent to it by the Law Commission of India and returned it as it is.
“While the Law Commission aims to gather opinion on a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) for all citizens of the country, the purpose of the questionnaire is not clear. Hence, the Bihar government has decided not to give any opinion on it,” state law secretary Ujjwal Kumar Dubey said adding that they have written to the Commission to the Law Commission to clarify what it proposes to do.
Bihar has become the first state to take an official stand on the UCC. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Bihar cabinet ministers at CM Samvad on Tuesday evening.
According to the statement issued by the Bihar government, “In india, different religions have been following different practices for several centuries. All sects and communities should discuss and debate on the matter and be aware of each other’s opinions, before any recommendation is made in the matter.”
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also wrote a letter to Law Commission of India chairman B S Chauhan on Tuesday to inform him about the developments. “After reviewing the entire matter, it has been found that no discussion has been held with any community. Different religions follow their own customs but only Hindu personal laws have been codified. Other religions are bound by their separate rules and rituals. Hence, a decision on such sensitive subject cannot be taken without consulting all stakeholders,” official sources said while quoting the letter.
In all, there were 11 multiple choice and five subjective questions in the questionnaire.
Source: dnaindia.com