Uniform Civil Code Bill introduced in Rajya Sabha amid opposition and chaos

Chaos ensued in Rajya Sabha after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Kirodi Lal Meena moved for leave to introduce the Uniform Civil Code in India Bill, 2020. The private member's Bill was introduced amid protests from Opposition parties. 

BJP MP Kirodi Lal Meena moved for leave to introduce the Bill to provide for the constitution of the national inspection and investigation committee for preparation of a Uniform Civil Code and its implementation throughout India and for matters connected therewith during the private member's business.

The Uniform Civil Code Bill will do away with religion based personal laws in the country. 

Opposition members from Trinamool Congress (TMC), Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), Rashtriya Janata Dadl (RJD), Samajwadi Party (SP), Communist Party of India (CPI), CPI (Marxist), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Congress protested against the introduction of the Bill. 

They passed three motions against the Bill saying, if passed, it will "destroy" the social fabric and unity in diversity that is prevalent in the country.

With the Opposition members seeking withdrawal of the Bill, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar called for division and the motion for introduction of the Bill was passed with 63 votes in favour and 23 against it.

In the past, although the Bill was listed for introduction, it was not moved in the Upper House.

"We have a private members' Bill that is totally unconstitutional, unethical, anti-secular. It is being introduced as a private member's Bill by an indulgent government to test the waters in a very dangerous game. This is brinkmanship," Jawhar Sircar of the Trinamool Congress said.

He further said, "There is still time to refrain from making demonstrations of a temporary majority and inflict one sided opinion on a very secular and plural India."

MDMK MP Vaiko accused the ruling dispensation of "implementing one after another agenda of the RSS and BJP" and said, "They have finished Kashmir. Now they have come to common civil code."

He said it is leading towards "disaster of the country and its disintegration and minority people are terribly hurt".

Leader of the House, Piyush Goyal objected to the allegations of the Opposition members.

"It is a legitimate right of a member to raise an issue, which is a directive principle of the Constitution...Let this subject be debated in the House. At this stage to cast aspersion on the government, to use the names of the very members of the constituent assembly to try to criticise at the introduction stage is uncalled for," he retorted.

(With PTI inputs)