Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday issued a direct challenge to the Bharatiya Janata Party over the Uniform Civil Code, saying the party should introduce the UCC Bill in Parliament rather than pushing it through individual states.
“If you have the numbers, bring it to Parliament. Why are you doing it through different states?” Abdullah told reporters, questioning the BJP’s approach to implementing the UCC at the state level instead of through the national legislature.
Abdullah pointed to divisions within the ruling National Democratic Alliance itself as evidence that the BJP lacks the parliamentary support needed to pass such legislation. “Within their own NDA, not everyone agrees with this. According to the news, Janata Dal (United) raised their hands and said this won’t be implemented in Bihar,” he said.
He warned that the BJP should not bring the UCC “through the backdoor.” “The way their own allies are not in favour of it, I don’t think they will be able to get it passed in Parliament. That is perhaps why they are taking this route,” Abdullah added.
The Chief Minister also argued that a UCC implemented only in BJP-ruled states would not qualify as a universal law. “The whole country is not a BJP-ruled state. There are a number of states and territories that the BJP does not rule. Therefore, if you apply it only to BJP states, it is not a universal law. And something that is of this nature should not be decided by individual states; it has to be decided by the country as a whole. The country as a whole is represented not in the states, but in Parliament,” he said.
Abdullah drew a pattern from the BJP’s legislative record, noting that the party had not brought several major proposals to Parliament. “Whether it was ‘One Nation, One Election’ or reservation, they did not bring those to Parliament. Now, for this one as well, they are talking about bringing it through the states,” he said.
On other matters, Abdullah welcomed the de-escalation along the Line of Actual Control, calling it a positive step for people living near the border. He also said India’s foreign policy should stand on its own merit without seeking validation from other countries, including China. He described the BRICS summit’s condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack by name as a success of India’s diplomatic efforts, noting the significance given the number of Pakistan’s allies present in the room.
