Maha govt clears formation of committee on UCC
Mumbai, June 23
The Maharashtra government has approved the formation of a retired High Court judge-led committee to submit a report on implementation of the Uniform Civil Code in the state.
The UCC will be implemented in the state after receiving the committee report, said Minister of State (Home) Yogesh Kadam in the state legislative Assembly on Tuesday.
"The Maharashtra government is positive about the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code. Chief Minister Fadnavis has given his nod to form a committee led by a retired High Court judge to prepare a draft for the UCC. Once the report is submitted, the UCC will be implemented," said Kadam.
The minister was replying to the calling attention motion raised by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Devyani Farande over the instances of triple talaq in Nasik district.
Earlier, Farande had claimed that despite the Centre banning Triple Talaq, such instances are on the rise and she has received complaints from three Muslim women regarding threats, violence and triple talaq from their respective husbands.
"Even Pakistan has now brought in restrictions on polygamy," Farande said, demanding to know the state government's stand on polygamy which she said was permitted under Islam and whether UCC will be brought in Maharashtra on the lines of Uttarakhand and Gujarat.
"Assam has banned polygamy. Will Maharashtra do the same?" she asked. Replying positively to her demand on UCC, Kadam said that once the code is brought, the ban on polygamy will be included in the same.
"The government is not against any religion, neither an individual. The UCC when brought will be applicable to every individual, irrespective of their religion," he said.
During the discussion, ruling NCP MLA Sana Malik countered Farande asking whether only Muslim women are suffering from violence and whether polygamy was in existence in Islam alone? "I want to inform that only instant talaq has been banned and not triple talaq," she said.
Malik's intervention led to Opposition members coming out in her support while the BJP MLAs claimed that the state will run by the Constitution and not by any religious scriptures.
It led to commotion within the Assembly for a few minutes with members from both sides getting involved in verbal exchanges.
Kadam informed the Assembly that in 2024 around 42 cases of triple talaq were registered in which 152 arrests were made while in the year 2025 around 39 cases were registered leading to 95 arrests.
"It shows that the practice is still in existence and it needs to be tackled using the law," said Kadam, assuring swift action against the accused.
The minister maintained that the government is not against any religion but is interested in extending help to women, irrespective of their religion.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Good move by Maharashtra government! Uttarakhand has shown the way. But I hope this doesn't become just a political tool. UCC should be simple, practical, and protect women without destroying cultural diversity. Also, Assam banning polygamy is a strong step - why should anyone have multiple spouses in 2025?
I am a Muslim woman and I welcome this. Triple talaq is still happening because men misuse religion. A civil code that treats all equally is what we need. But please involve women's groups in drafting - we don't want another law that misses ground reality. 🤲
What about Hindu polygamy? UCC should check all communities. If it's only targeting Muslims, then it's not uniform. Also, why was the commotion in assembly necessary? BJP and NCP both need to focus on real issues like education and jobs, not just religious politics.
42 cases in 2024, 39 in 2025 - these numbers show triple talaq is still a problem! But I don't think a new UCC is needed. The courts already strike down illegal divorces. We should enforce existing laws better first. Otherwise it'll just become another legal battle.
S Sana Malik (NCP MLA) While I support women’s rights, we must be careful not to single out one community. Domestic violence and polygamy exist across religions. Let’s focus on all women’s safety, not just selective targeting. Western countries also have different marriage laws for different religions. Let’s have balanced discussion. We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.