Shatrughan Sinha calls for consistency in beef ban, warns on UCC loopholes: ‘It is important to ensure…’

Lok Sabha MP and Trinamool Congress leader Shatrughan Sinha called for the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) that takes into account the concerns of all communities.

He said that the initiative should not be viewed as a political move for elections, stressing the need for a multi-party meeting to ensure broad consensus.

Sinha also voiced his support for beef bans but highlighted the importance of consistency across different regions.

“What happened in Uttarakhand, I would say that as a nation, we must acknowledge it as necessary. A Uniform Civil Code (UCC) should indeed be implemented and it is something that all citizens of the country would agree upon. However, there are many fine prints and complexities in this matter. It is important to ensure that the concerns of various communities and groups are addressed. It cannot be that suddenly one day, it is imposed in a way that people feel it’s just for votes or elections,” Sinha told ANI.

Sinha said that while in his personal opinion, not just beef but all non-vegetarian food should be banned, it can't work if it is banned in some places while not in others

"In some places, beef is banned, and I agree with this. Personally, I think non-veg should be banned, but that’s just my opinion. In some regions, beef is banned, while in others it is not. Now, take the Northeast, for example... A friend of mine once said there it's 'yummy,' while in North India it's 'mummy.' This kind of inconsistency cannot continue. For the UCC, there needs to be an all-party meeting to gather everyone’s opinion. It should not be viewed from an election perspective," said Shatrughan Sinha.

The Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand

The Uttarakhand government announced the implementation of the UCC in the state on January 27. It was one of the core promises of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2022 state election.

The Pushkar Dhami government has rolled out an online UCC portal, where people can apply under nine categories for services such as registration of marriage, divorce, termination of live-in relationships, and filing appeals and complaints regarding grievances and issues related to the processing of documents or disputes.

“Today is a historic day for not only Uttarakhand but the entire country. Today, the UCC law that will ensure equality is being rolled out in the state. The real credit goes to the people of the state who blessed me. Today with this rollout, we also pay our tributes to BR Ambedkar and other members of the Constituent Assembly that drafted the Constitution of India,” the chief minister said at an event in the state capital Dehradun on UCC implementation.

The Uniform Civil Code, Uttarakhand, 2024 was passed by the state assembly on February 7, 2024. But the law had not come into effect in the absence of the rules.