Uttarakhand test lab for ‘Hindutva Iran’, says Congress MP Karti Chidambaram
The Congress leader also accused the BJP of using the Uniform Civil Code to enter the private lives of people.
NEW DELHI: Congress MP Karti Chidambaram hit out at the BJP on Thursday over the passage of the Uniform Civil Code bill in Uttrakhand, alleging that they are entering private spaces of people and the hill state “is the test lab for Hindutva Iran.”
The Uttarakhand Assembly passed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) bill on Wednesday, which may serve as a template for other BJP-run states to enact similar legislation.
The bill also mandates the registration of live-in relationships. Children born of live-in relationships will be considered legitimate and deserted women will be entitled to maintenance from their partners.
The bill effectively bans polygamy and ‘halala’ practices among a section of Muslims. Marriages, though, can be solemnised through separate rituals, like saptapadi, nikah, and anand karaj, followed by different communities.
In a post on X, Karti Chidambaram said, “Uttarakhand is the test lab for Hindutva Iran.”
Later, speaking with reporters outside Parliament, he said the UCC as a concept is good but in order to bring it, one must have wide-ranging consultations. It must be there to remove anomalies that are there in all religions and practices.
“For example, we have something called the Hindu Undivided Family (HUF). In fact, I am a beneficiary of HUF. Would that remain in UCC or removed in UCC? In certain parts of the country, there are marriages between first cousins. In fact, in certain parts of the country uncles marry nieces. In Uttarakhand, those things are prohibited. Are we bringing out a uniform code which will remove certain practices from all religions?” he said.
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