Retired Bombay High Court judge Justice R C Chavan has resigned from Maharashtra’s seven-member Uniform Civil Code committee, citing differences over the process for gathering public feedback and concerns about the participation of a person who was not a committee member. His resignation was submitted on September 19, shortly after the panel’s second meeting, and was accepted by the state government on September 21.
In his resignation letter, Chavan said he had understood that the committee’s exercise was intended to gather views from people across Maharashtra and build consensus on issues covered by a UCC. He questioned the process after the chairperson, retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Desai, had already circulated a final questionnaire for public responses. Chavan also raised questions about a non-member who attended the meeting and discussed changes to the committee’s website.
Chavan said his time on the committee had been a learning experience and that, after resigning, he would be free to express his views as a citizen. His departure leaves the panel with six members. The committee was formed in July and has six months to submit recommendations on a framework for implementing a UCC in Maharashtra.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said the government intends to move ahead with UCC legislation after receiving the committee’s report, with the winter Assembly session in Nagpur identified as the planned timeframe for introducing the Bill.
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