Maharashtra UCC Bill: Fadnavis Plans to Bring Uniform Civil Code in Winter Session

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said the state government plans to introduce legislation on the Uniform Civil Code during the winter session of the Maharashtra Assembly in Nagpur, once a committee submits its recommendations.

The announcement came a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah said BJP-led NDA governments in 21 states would move towards implementing the Uniform Civil Code before 2029.

The Maharashtra government constituted a seven-member committee in July and gave it six months to submit its report. The panel is headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Desai and includes former High Court judges RC Chavan and SG Mehare, former chief secretary DK Jain, former advocate general Virendra Saraf, constitutional expert Ramesh Patange and educationist Suvarna Rawal.

Fadnavis said the government would proceed with the implementation process after receiving the committee’s recommendations.

The Chief Minister also criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his comments on the all-vegetarian dinner served during the BRICS Summit in Delhi. Fadnavis argued that the controversy over the menu was diverting attention from what he described as India’s diplomatic achievements at the summit.

He pointed to the unanimous adoption of the New Delhi Declaration, saying China and Russia also signed the document. According to Fadnavis, the declaration’s references to terrorism and Pakistan represented a significant diplomatic outcome for India.

Gandhi had criticised the decision to serve an entirely vegetarian spread at the BRICS gala dinner, arguing that the menu did not reflect India’s dietary diversity. He said a large majority of Indians consume non-vegetarian food and also highlighted popular Indian dishes.