Don't bring politics in debate on Uniform Civil Code: Law commission chief

Politics should not be brought into the Law Commission's exercise to make recommendations regarding framing of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) to achieve the goals of gender equality and dignity for women, commission's chairman Justice BS Chauhan said on Thursday. 

"We are merely an advisory body. We are not going to make the law. People should not mix politics in it. We are an advisory body and not a law making authority. "I have no involvement with politics. We, in Law Commission, are working on the reference received from the government," Chauhan said. 

Maintaining that the law panel was carrying out a larger debate on the issue without any "prejudice or bias" to arrive at an objective as per the constitutional norms, Chauhan cautioned against bringing politics into the debate saying the entire exercise was being undertaken due to the growing awareness in the society. 

"We will make the recommendations and Parliament will debate threadbare on them. After due scrutiny by both the houses, the legislature will take a call," the former Supreme Court judge said. 

Chouhan expressed pain that the media debate on UCC had crossed limits of decency and said the subject was an "academic one" and should be discussed in a manner that would promote social harmony and welfare of the people.

"All are educated now and the debate should not take the shape of indecency as has been witnessed in some of the media debates. ... in a democracy, debate (on UCC) must be carried out in a healthy manner to promote social harmony and welfare of people. All sections of society should come forward to participate in this academic debate," Justice Chauhan said.

He was of the opinion that a lot of 'hue and cry' has been made on the contentious issue of 'triple talaq' which, he said, was "one of the small parts of the entire exercise" of the Law Commission on the UCC.

"The issue of triple talaq is one of the small parts of the entire exercise and probably it will be settled by the Supreme Court before the Law Commission comes out with its final recommendations," he said.