NDA Governments in 21 States to Introduce UCC Before 2029: Amit Shah
The Union Home Minister said the government had strengthened the country's criminal justice system through the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and claimed that several states had recorded a 30 per cent increase in the conviction rate in a single year
Mumbai: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would make efforts to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in all 21 NDA-ruled states before 2029. Addressing a press conference in Mumbai during his two-day visit to Maharashtra, Shah said the UCC had already been introduced in several states and expressed confidence that the remaining NDA-ruled states would work towards implementing it before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
“I am confident that the BJP and NDA-ruled 21 states will introduce the UCC before 2029,” Shah said.
His remarks on the UCC assume political significance ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. Maharashtra has already constituted a committee to draft legislation on the UCC.
Responding to a question about Bangladeshi infiltrators who allegedly return to India despite being deported, and whether the government has a mechanism to detect them, Shah said the details of such mechanisms could not be made public. However, he reiterated the government’s resolve to identify and deport every illegal infiltrator from the country.
Shah also announced that the BJP and its NDA allies would organise a month-long nationwide ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’ from September 17 to October 17 to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday and highlight the work undertaken by the government during his tenure. “The BJP and NDA have decided to run the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan for one month across the country,” he added.
According to Shah, the campaign will comprise 12 programmes at the national level, including blood donation drives, elocution competitions, cultural and theatrical presentations, painting competitions and programmes showcasing stories of ‘Namo Seva’.
The campaign will also feature Anganwadi-related initiatives, the ‘Seva Jyoti Kalash Yatra’, ‘Seva Mera Yogdan’, ‘Seva Setu Abhiyan’ and programmes aimed at ensuring that government welfare schemes reach a wider section of the population.
Shah said October 7, 2026, would mark 25 years since Modi first assumed public office as Gujarat Chief Minister. He described the period since then as one of significant transformation in both Gujarat and the country.
Claiming that India was caught in a “nexus of corruption, casteism and dynastic politics” before 2014, Shah said the country had moved towards development after the BJP-led government came to power under Modi.
“The country was suffering from three major ills — corruption, casteism and dynastic politics. From 2014 to 2026, these three ills have been eliminated, and the people of the country have now moved towards a politics of performance,” Shah said.
Shah also said that Article 370, the Naxalite movement and problems in the Northeast, which he described as major challenges to the country’s internal security for five decades, had been eradicated over the past 12 years. He claimed that 25 crore people had been lifted out of poverty, while 21 crore people were being provided five to seven kg of foodgrains free of cost every month.
Earlier in the day, Shah inaugurated the ‘Ganesh Gyanarthi Exhibition’ organised by the Asiatic Society of Mumbai.
