Yours sincerely, in these columns on August 12, 2024, hailed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024, introduced in Parliament, as pathbreaking and a step towards substantially advancing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) enshrined in the Directive Principles of State Policy. The Apex Court, for its part, has repeatedly urged the Central government to implement the directive principles, despite their non-enforceable nature—unlike fundamental rights, which any citizen can enforce by invoking Article 32 of the Constitution.

Parliament rightly referred the Waqf Bill 2024 to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) headed by the BJP Lok Sabha MP, Jagdambika Pal, which has since submitted its report. As expected, given the sensitivities involved, there are rumblings over the report, especially regarding the non-incorporation of Muslim viewpoints. Ultimately, however, the Bill can be passed only with the support of Parliament, perhaps in a joint session convened specifically for this purpose.

The key point is that the Bill cannot be steamrolled. Even after its passage, it will always remain subject to judicial review, as was the case with another landmark parliamentary initiative towards implementing the UCC—the abrogation of Article 370, which had conferred special status on Jammu and Kashmir.

The proposed law will withstand judicial review only if it remains secular in character, without any intent to slight any religious denomination. The muted clamour for a Sanatan Board to rival the........

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