Uniform Civil Code will not be for Northeast States: Central Minister

New Delhi: BJP will not impose Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the northeast, said Union Minister of state for Health, SP Singh Baghel, who was earlier the junior law minister in the Central Cabinet.

Speaking to newsmen on Tuesday, Baghel said, the BJP respects the diversity and culture of the tribal communities and will not impose any law that goes against their interests.

He was responding to a statement made by Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Kumar Modi, who heads the parliamentary standing committee on law and justice, that the tribal population in the North East and other regions should be kept out of the ambit of the UCC.

“The customs of the Northeast are respected by the BJP, and we will not hurt any religious or social customs, but appeasement politics is not right either,” said Baghel.

According to Baghel, as per Schedule 6 of the Constitution, which grants special provisions to certain tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram, nothing will apply to them unless their own state legislatures ratify the center’s decision.

He added that as far as tribals of other states are concerned, they will also be consulted and their views will be taken into account before any law is made.

The UCC is being strongly opposed in Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Nagaland where Christians account for 74.59 per cent, 86.97 per cent, and 87.93 per cent respectively, according to the 2011 census.