Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders on Monday, 14 September 2026 threw their weight behind Union Home Minister Amit Shah's announcement that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will be implemented across all 21 BJP-NDA governed states before 2029, calling it a constitutional imperative and a necessary step toward social reform. The announcement, made by Shah on Sunday, has reignited a long-running national debate over civil law uniformity and its implications for religious personal laws.

BJP Leaders Back the Announcement

BJP MP Naresh Bansal, representing Uttarakhand — the first state to enact UCC legislation — said the momentum was now clearly building across NDA-governed states. 'I come from the state where the Uniform Civil Code was implemented first. Uttarakhand was the first state to frame and enact legislation on the UCC. Now, gradually, other states are moving in the same direction. This is a very necessary law for the entire country. To ensure that the demographic balance of the nation is safeguarded, this law is essential and will be implemented,' Bansal said.

BJP West Bengal President Samik Bhattacharya emphasised that UCC implementation had always been the party's declared position, not a concealed agenda. 'What the Home Minister said is correct. It has always been the BJP's declared stand that there should be a Uniform Civil Code, and we will implement it across the country. This is not our hidden agenda or a secret issue. We have always spoken about it,' Bhattacharya said. He also noted that the BJP-led West Bengal unit was moving ahead with its own UCC Bill, and claimed support for the code extended beyond party lines to citizens from varied professional and social backgrounds.

The Constitutional Argument

BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi grounded the push in constitutional terms, pointing to Article 44 of the Indian Constitution, which directs the state to endeavour to secure a uniform civil code for citizens. 'Amit Shah has reiterated the constitutional commitment. Article 44 of the Constitution directs the government to move towards implementing a Uniform Civil Code. After Prime Minister Modi came to power, the country was prepared in this direction, and our state governments have also moved forward,' Naqvi said. He added that critics framing the UCC as a communal measure were, in his view, creating 'an imaginary communal misconception.'

Bihar Minister Backs 2029 Timeline

Bihar Minister Ram Kripal Yadav welcomed the move and expressed confidence that the timeline would be met. 'The Home Minister has made a good decision. A UCC is necessary, and within the next three years, before 2029, it will be implemented across all states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party. This will help resolve several issues,' Yadav said.

What Shah Announced and What Comes Next

Speaking on Sunday, 13 September 2026, Home Minister Shah said the UCC rollout across all 21 NDA-governed states would proceed in a phased manner through necessary legislative and administrative measures. He noted that implementation had already been completed or was underway in several states, with the remaining states to follow. Uttarakhand remains the template, having been the first to enact the code into law. This is a significant escalation in the BJP's UCC agenda, which has been a core plank of the party's manifesto since 1998. Critics, including Opposition parties and minority rights groups, have historically argued that a blanket UCC without adequate consultation could override established personal law protections — though no formal Opposition response to Sunday's announcement was available at the time of publication. The next phase will hinge on how quickly state legislatures move to draft and pass compatible legislation, and whether legal challenges emerge before the Supreme Court.