New Delhi [India], January 27 : As Uttarakhand marked one year of the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code, former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Tuesday called the code an "attack on the Sanatan Dharma."
While speaking to ANI, Rawat reacted strongly, claiming, "UCC is an attack on the Sanatan Dharma. It doesn't matter how much the BJP praises itself for it."
Meanwhile, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami, on Tuesday, hailed the act, saying it had laid the foundation for equality and social harmony in the state.
Uniform Civil Code Day is celebrated in Uttarakhand on 27 January, marking the anniversary of the UCC in the state in 2026, as Uttarakhand was the first state in India to implement the UCC.
In January, the Uttarakhand government enacted the Uniform Civil Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026, to introduce necessary amendments to the UCC Act, 2024, following the Governor's approval.
Under the UCC, nearly 100 per cent of marriage registrations are now being completed online. Couples and witnesses can apply from anywhere by uploading their records and recording video statements.
As a result, untill January 19, a total of 4,74,447 marriage registrations had been completed in less than a year since the UCC came into force. This translates to an average of around 1,400 registrations per day, compared to just 67 per day under the previous law, a release said.
Harish Rawat also commented on the recent Badrinath-Kedarnath controversy, where non-Hindus may be banned from entering temples. Taking aim at the Bharatiya Janata Party, they claimed it doesn't have answers to important issues.
"BJP has no positive agenda to talk about and no answers on issues of rising migration and inflation, unemployment, corruption and deteriorating law and order situation in Uttarakhand, which is why they are focusing on bans and such topics." he said.
This comes after Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee Chairman Hemant Dwivedi said that a proposal to ban non-Hindus from entering both Dhams and all temples under the Temple Committee will be presented at the upcoming board meeting.
Meanwhile, non-Hindus will be prohibited from entering Gangotri Dham in Uttarakhand, following a decision taken unanimously at a meeting of the Shri Gangotri Temple Committee held on Sunday.
Shri Gangotri Temple Committee Chairman Suresh Semwal stated that, as per the decision, the entry of non-Hindus into the Dham will be strictly prohibited. He added that the ban will also remain in force at Mukhba, the winter residence of the deity.