Shah says BJP-led states to implement Uniform Civil Code before 2029

Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced on Sunday that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance governments in 21 states will implement the Uniform Civil Code before the 2029 national elections. The announcement has sparked immediate political opposition, with critics alleging the move targets religious minorities. Shah made the statement in Mumbai, citing the abolition of triple talaq as part of the government's effort to provide equal rights to Muslim women. "We have introduced the Uniform Civil Code in several states, and I am confident that in the 21 BJP-NDA ruled states, we will introduce the UCC before 2029," he said. The Uniform Civil Code aims to replace personal laws based on religious scriptures with a common legal framework for all citizens in matters of marriage, divorce, inheritance, and succession. The BJP has long advocated for the code as a key ideological objective, alongside the construction of the Ram temple and the abrogation of Article 370, both of which have been achieved. Four BJP-ruled states have already passed UCC legislation: Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Assam, and Madhya Pradesh.