India pushes wider Uniform Civil Code rollout, alarming Muslims

India's interior minister has vowed to expand the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) across all states governed by the ruling Hindu nationalist party, a move expected to alarm the country's Muslim minority.

Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday the code would be implemented in all 21 states run by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led alliance by 2029.

What is India's Uniform Civil Code?

The Uniform Civil Code would replace India's community-specific personal laws on marriage, divorce and inheritance with a single set of rules for all citizens, regardless of religion.

It is a longstanding goal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and at least four states have already introduced it.

Shah reaffirmed the timeline on Sunday. "We have introduced the UCC in several states... I am confident that we will implement (it) in all 21 states governed by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance by 2029," he said.

Why are Muslims concerned about the Uniform Civil Code?

Muslim citizens argue that a standardized civil code would infringe on their religious freedoms and override personal laws rooted in Islamic tradition. Supporters counter that the UCC would extend equal rights to Muslim women by banning polygamy, granting sons and daughters equal inheritance, and requiring divorce cases to be processed through civil courts.

How many Muslims live in India?

India is the world's most populous country and majority Hindu, but it is also home to an estimated 220 million Muslims, giving it the world's third-largest Muslim population.

The next national elections are due in 2029, after Modi won a third successive term in 2024, when he was forced into a coalition government.