Following Chhattisgarh BJP government’s decision to constitute a committee for the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President Deepak Baij launched a scathing attack on the ruling BJP, calling the move a direct assault on the constitutional protections afforded to the state’s tribal communities.
Baij asserted that if the Uniform Civil Code is implemented in Chhattisgarh, the tribal population will suffer the most significant losses. “UCC is fundamentally anti-tribal,”Baij stated. “In our state, tribals are the only community granted special constitutional protections….
Highlighting that tribals constitute over 32 percent of Chhattisgarh’s population, including highly protected particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs), the Congress chief emphasised that these communities are shielded by special constitutional provisions, the 5th Schedule, and the PESA (Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act. He accused the BJP of attempting to ‘plunder’ these hard-won protections through the guise of the UCC.
“Because current laws strictly prohibit outsiders from buying or taking over tribal land, the government is exploring alternative legal loopholes. This rush to enforce the UCC is nothing but a calculated effort to bypass existing restrictions, marginalise tribal welfare, and prioritise the greed of corporate giants,” DeepakBaij alleged.