Shah Sets UCC Timeline for NDA States
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday that BJP-led NDA governments in 21 states will introduce the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) before 2029. Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Shah said, "Triple talaq has been abolished, giving Muslim women equal rights. We have introduced the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in several states and I am confident that in the 21 BJP-NDA ruled states, we will introduce the UCC before 2029." The next Lok Sabha polls are scheduled for 2029.
Shah's remarks came as he highlighted the achievements of the Centre over the last 12 years and the BJP's 25-year journey under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. He also outlined the government's record on national security, citing surgical strikes, air strikes and Operation Sindoor as establishing a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism. He said the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A had been achieved without a single drop of blood being shed or a bullet being fired, and asserted that Kashmir was now fully integrated with India.
State-Level Progress on UCC
Several BJP-ruled states have already taken legislative steps on the UCC. Uttarakhand became the first state to enact a UCC law in February 2024 and implemented it from January 2025. Gujarat followed suit in 2025, and Assam became the first north-eastern state to pass the UCC Bill in May 2026. Madhya Pradesh became the latest state to unanimously approve the UCC at a special Cabinet meeting in Bhopal's Jagdishpura in August. Gujarat, Assam and Madhya Pradesh are awaiting presidential assent and notification. Maharashtra, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh have formed committees to draft UCC legislation.
On Monday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the state government had already constituted a committee to prepare the UCC and that the law will be implemented after the committee submits its report. He said the government plans to bring the legislation during the winter session of the state assembly in Nagpur. The seven-member committee, headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Desai, was set up in July with a six-month deadline. "Look, the Maharashtra government has already formed a committee to prepare the Uniform Civil Code. The committee is working, and I believe that once the committee submits its report, we will implement it soon," Fadnavis told reporters.
Reactions from NDA Allies
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary said a decision on the UCC in the state will be taken only after examining the provisions of the proposed bill and holding direct discussions with Amit Shah. Speaking to reporters, Chaudhary said, "First, we need to see the form in which the UCC bill is presented... Secondly, our Working National President has already stated that after reviewing the provisions, there will be direct talks with Home Minister Amit Shah regarding them and after that our party will hold a meeting."
Other NDA allies have also reacted cautiously. JD(U) national spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad said the party would discuss the matter when a formal proposal comes before it, noting that JD(U) national working president Sanjay Kumar Jha would meet Shah soon. JD(U) state chief spokesperson Neeraj Kumar reiterated the party's earlier position that no community should be hurt and the country belonged to everyone, adding that no state other than Uttarakhand had so far implemented the UCC. The JD(U) also distanced itself from party MLA Shyam Razak's assertion that the UCC would not be implemented in Bihar, saying his statement did not represent the party's official position. LJP(RV) chief Chirag Paswan said the party would state its position after the draft is made public and there is an assessment of the interests of all stakeholders. HAM(S) national president Santosh Kumar Suman expressed full support for the UCC, welcoming Shah's commitment.
Opposition Criticism
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi took strong exception to Shah's remarks, questioning whether the BJP's allies had an independent political voice. In a post on X, Owaisi said the Law Commission appointed by the NDA government had concluded that a UCC was "neither necessary nor desirable." He claimed that a Uniform Civil Code would amount to imposing Hindu law on non-Hindus and said, "A UCC isn't about equality; it's about targeting Muslims." Owaisi also cited the Disturbed Areas Act and "love jihad" laws as examples of discriminatory practices in BJP-ruled states.
Owaisi further alleged that the UCC would conflict with constitutional provisions including Articles 14, 25, 26 and 29. He challenged the BJP to implement in Goa the same UCC framework introduced in Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Assam, and questioned whether NDA leaders such as N Chandrababu Naidu, Nitish Kumar and Chirag Paswan would support the provisions of the UCC.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah challenged the BJP to bring the UCC bill in Parliament if it has the numbers, rather than bringing it "through the back door via BJP states." Abdullah argued that the proposed legislation could not be described as "universal" if implemented only in states governed by the BJP or its allies. "It is not universal if it doesn't apply to the whole country. The whole country is not a BJP ruled state," he said, adding that reports indicated JD(U) had said it would not be implemented in Bihar.
Other Announcements
Shah also addressed questions on the National Register of Citizens (NRC), saying the Centre was holding discussions with its allies and political parties on the issue, including on whether the 1951 baseline would be used in Manipur. Asked about illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators, Shah said the government would not disclose the tools used to identify them but reiterated its resolve to identify and deport illegal infiltrators from the country. He also said the government had strengthened the criminal justice system through the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and claimed that several states had recorded a 30 per cent increase in the conviction rate in a single year.