The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) of Uttarakhand, 2024 bill was tabled in the House by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who in a symbolic gesture, entered the assembly with a copy of the original Constitution.

Treasury benches welcomed the tabling of the bill with thumping of desks and chants of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”, “Vande Mataram” and “Jai Shri Ram”.

The UCC also mandates a three-month imprisonment for those failing to register live-in relationships within a month. Children born out of such relationships will be considered legitimate. The bill, presented by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, was greeted with applause and patriotic chants from the treasury benches. However, the opposition was discontented as they argued they hadn’t been given ample time to study the bill’s provisions.

The bill makes it obligatory for partners of a live-in relationship within the state, whether they are residents of Uttarakhand or not, to submit a statement of their relationship under sub-section (1) of section 381 to the Registrar within whose jursidiction they are living in a prescribed format.

Anyone staying in a live-in relationship for more than a month without getting it registered will be punishable with an imprisonment up to three months or a fine of up to Rs 10,000 or both, the bill says.

A higher fine apart from an imprisonment of up to three months can be imposed on any person who provides false information in his or her statement on a live-in relationship to the Registrar.

If a woman in a live-in relationship gets deserted by her partner, she will be entitled to claim maintenance from him for which she may approach a competent court having jurisdiction over the place where they last cohabited.

Leader Yashpal Arya accused the government of violating legislative traditions by skirting a thorough debate on the bill. Despite this tension, opposition members were given assurance of further time to examine the bill. The opposition also expressed disappointment at the house’s decision to suspend the Question Hour to discuss the UCC bill, which eliminated their opportunity to raise public interest issues.

The bill covers all residents of Uttarakhand, whether they live within the state boundaries or outside. However, it excludes the Scheduled Tribes. Live-in relationships involving a minor or those based on force or fraud will not be registered. The bill also imposes a higher fine, in addition to three months’ imprisonment, for false information provided during the registration of a live-in relationship.

The bill will come into operation from the date it is notified in the gazette. Upon implementation, Uttarakhand will become the first state post-Independence to adopt the UCC, fulfilling a significant promise made by the BJP during the 2022 Assembly elections. Other BJP-led states, including Gujarat and Assam, have displayed interest in following this model.

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