Srinagar, September 15, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday questioned the decision of BJP-ruled states to pursue a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), arguing that legislation on an issue of national importance should first be brought before Parliament.
Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, Abdullah said that if the government had the numbers to pass such legislation, it should introduce the measure in Parliament instead of pursuing separate laws in individual states.
“If you have the numbers, bring it to Parliament. Why are you doing it separately in different states?” he asked.
Abdullah argued that the UCC could not be described as truly universal if it was implemented only in states governed by the BJP.
“The whole country is not BJP-ruled. There are a number of states and territories that the BJP does not govern,” he said.
The J&K Chief Minister also pointed to differences among allies of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), claiming that some of them were not prepared to implement the UCC in their respective states.
“According to reports, the Janata Dal-United has directly said that it will not be implemented in Bihar. So if their own allies are not ready for it, how can they say that it should be implemented across the country?” Abdullah said.
He maintained that an issue of such national significance should be decided by Parliament, which represents the country as a whole.
“Something of this nature should not be decided by individual states. It has to be decided by the country as a whole. The entire country is represented not in the states, but in the Parliament. Let the legislation come to Parliament,” he said.
Abdullah also questioned why the government was pursuing the UCC through state-level legislation when other major proposals had been discussed in the context of Parliament.
“So far, whenever they have talked about legislation in the Parliament, whether it is ‘One Nation, One Election’ or reservation, they have not brought it to the Parliament. Now, with this too, they are talking about bringing it in the states. Bring it to the Parliament and let us see whether you can pass it,” he said.
The Uniform Civil Code is a proposed common legal framework that seeks to replace religion-based personal laws with a uniform set of rules applicable to all citizens in matters covered by personal law.
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