NEW DELHI: As Uttarakhand marked one year of the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code, former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Tuesday called the code an “attack on the Sanatan Dharma.”
Rawat reacted strongly, claiming, “UCC is an attack on the Sanatan Dharma. It doesn’t matter how much the BJP praises itself for it.”
Meanwhile, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami, on Tuesday, hailed the act, saying it had laid the foundation for equality and social harmony in the state.
Uniform Civil Code Day is celebrated in Uttarakhand on 27 January, marking the anniversary of the UCC in the state in 2026, as Uttarakhand was the first state in India to implement the UCC.
In January, the Uttarakhand government enacted the Uniform Civil Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026, to introduce necessary amendments to the UCC Act, 2024, following the Governor’s approval.
Under the UCC, nearly 100 per cent of marriage registrations are now being completed online. Couples and witnesses can apply from anywhere by uploading their records and recording video statements. As a result, until January 19, a total of 4,74,447 marriage registrations had been completed in less than a year since the UCC came into force.
This translates to an average of around 1,400 registrations per day, compared to just 67 per day under the previous law, a release said.
Rawat also commented on the recent Badrinath-Kedarnath controversy, where non-Hindus may be banned from entering temples.
