Uttarakhand UCC Amendment: Assembly Speaker Open to Future Revisions

Uttarakhand Assembly Speaker Ritu Khanduri Bhushan on Monday said that changes can be made, if required, to the Uniform Civil Code UCC recently implemented in the state depending on the feedback received from people. On the Ankita Bhandari murder case, in which the 19-year-old receptionist was murdered in September 2022, Bhushan said she hoped justice will be delivered soon.

Uttarakhand Assembly Speaker Ritu Khanduri Bhushan on Monday said that changes can be made, if required, to the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) recently implemented in the state depending on the feedback received from people. At an interaction with journalists at India Women's Press Corps, Bhushan also hoped that justice would be delivered in the Ankita Bhandari murder case. Asked about the UCC, the state assembly speaker argued that the code has provisions for empowerment of women. "As far as UCC is concerned, women are the weakest link in society. If I say women should get property rights, what is wrong with that? They deserve it..." she said. On the controversial provision in the state's UCC which requires couples in a live-in relationship to register their relationship, Bhushan defended it saying the couples need to "own up" their decision. "If an 18-year old decides that they want to be in a live-in relationship, should they not be owning it up? It's the 21st century, if you're making such a big decision, own it up," she said.

Bhushan also said the point on live-in relationships did not figure in her conversations with women in the rural areas of the state, and that it was not a major issue for them. "This law (UCC) has come up after two years of deliberation. If society feels it needs to be amended, we will do it. This is not the end of UCC, it is not what will be coming out in the country..." she said. "Government will see if we need any amendments," she added. On the Ankita Bhandari murder case, in which the 19-year-old receptionist was murdered in September 2022, Bhushan said she hoped justice will be delivered soon. Pulkit Arya, son of a former BJP leader, is the main accused in the case. "Uttarakhand is a state where women are respected. I condemn the incident. The case is subjudice," Bhushan said. "Certain things are above politics. I am sure she will get justice," she added. Asked about the recent violence in the Haldwani region of the state, Bhushan said the government has taken action in the incident. "Uttarakhand does not have communal strife. We are a peaceful state. All religions live in peace. One incident happened, but the state government controlled it," she said. On the environmental impact of infrastructure projects in the state, which witnessed the town of Joshimath ''sinking'' due to land subsidence, Bhushan stressed on the need to strike a balance between environment and development. "We want to protect the environment, but we also want development. Roads are crucial in mountain terrain like Uttarakhand," she said. Bhushan also underlined the importance of tourism for the state's economy. "While we should see that religious tourism does not become a picnic, we also don't want to close down and impose limits on the number of tourists."

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