Asaduddin Owaisi criticises former CJI Ranjan Gogoi for his remarks supporting the Uniform Civil Code

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief and Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi criticised former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi for his remarks supporting the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). Gogoi, a Rajya Sabha MP, had described the UCC as a “progressive piece of legislation” and an “important step towards national integration.”

Reacting sharply, Owaisi said, “Ranjan Gogoi is saying UCC is necessary for national integration. Is he saying that India is not united? He defended NRC in Assam, which caused large-scale distress and sowed division. Yet it also disproved his belief that the state was overrun with illegal migrants.” Highlighting existing disparities, he pointed to Goa’s version of UCC, which allows a Hindu man to marry a second time if the first wife does not bear a son. “Is this his vision of UCC?” Owaisi questioned. He also referenced Babasaheb Ambedkar, stating that Ambedkar envisioned a voluntary UCC, which, he



argued, already exists.

Former Chief Justice Gogoi had made his comments during a discussion on “Challenges for the Judiciary” at the Surat Litfest 2025. He stated that the UCC would replace diverse customary practices governing personal matters like marriage, divorce, adoption, and inheritance. “The UCC does not conflict with Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution, which protect the right to religion. It is already functioning effectively in Goa,” Gogoi remarked. However, he emphasised the need for consensus-building and warned against rushing into its implementation.

“Consensus building should be done, and checks made against misinformation. A nation can’t afford to have so many laws governing civil and personal matters,” Gogoi said. He urged the government to clearly communicate the UCC’s objectives to the public, acknowledging that some would resist understanding its implications.