Omar Abdullah Slams Centre’s Approach to Uniform Civil Code

Speaking to reporters here, Abdullah said that if the BJP-led government truly has the numbers to pass the UCC, it should place the draft before Parliament instead of “experimenting” with BJP-ruled states. He argued that legislation meant to apply uniformly across the country cannot be introduced in a piecemeal manner.

According to Abdullah, the government’s strategy raises questions about whether its own allies within the NDA are fully supportive of the move. “If their own people are not ready for this, how can they say it should be implemented in the whole country?” he remarked, adding that a law applied only in BJP-governed states cannot be described as “uniform” when several states and Union Territories are under non-BJP administrations.

Abdullah reiterated that Parliament alone represents the entire country and, therefore, must take the final call on the UCC. His comments came a day after Uttarakhand became the first state to pass and notify its own version of the UCC.

He said states may choose to enact such laws, but such decisions remain provisional until Parliament legislates a national framework. “Let them do what they want till a law is enacted for the country. Finally, it is Parliament which will decide on this and not individual UTs or states,” he said.

He also briefly referred to developments in Jharkhand, where the state government recently announced that it would study the implications of the UCC and consult legal experts before taking a position. The move came amid political tensions, with opposition parties accusing the Centre of using the UCC debate to exert pressure on non-BJP states. Abdullah said such confusion across states only reinforced his argument that the matter must be settled nationally rather than through fragmented state-level decisions.

On the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Abdullah clarified that no final law has been passed yet and that a Joint Parliamentary Committee is still examining the proposed changes. He noted that Kashmir’s chief Muslim cleric, Mirwaiz Muhammad Umar Farooq, had also presented his views before the committee and that Parliament would debate the report once the committee completes its work.

Abdullah also commented on reports of reduced troop deployments by India and China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), calling it a “significant development” and expressing hope that similar progress would eventually be seen along the Line of Control (LoC).

Turning to foreign commentary on India’s foreign policy, he said India should neither seek validation nor be overly concerned with criticism from other countries. “Our foreign policy is our own. Why do we look for other countries’ certificates?” he asked, stressing that India must remain consistent rather than “cherry-picking” praise while rejecting criticism.

He further stated that India should focus on its own strategic priorities without being influenced by external applause or opposition.