Gujarat HC dismisses plea challenging UCC committee not having members from minorities

On Tuesday, the Gujarat High Court dismissed a petition filed by Surat resident Abdul Vahab Sopariwala, which challenged the composition of a five-member committee set up by the state government to examine the need for a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), citing the absence of any representatives from minority communities.

The court held that the state government has the authority to appoint such a committee and emphasised that it is not for the petitioner to decide whether the members are experts or not. The court upheld the state’s decision.

The UCC committee was formed by the Gujarat government on February 4, 2025. The petition opposing it argued that the committee lacked representation from various religious communities, including minorities such as Muslims, Parsis, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists. A representation was also made to the Chief Minister Bupendra Patel on March 16, 2025, regarding these concerns.

In response to the writ petition, it was submitted that the committee was formed lawfully and under constitutional powers to examine the aspects and possibilities related to the UCC and to eventually draft a related framework for Gujarat. 

The committee is chaired by retired judge Ranjana Desai, criminal law expert R C Kodekar, former Vice Chancellor of South Gujarat University Dakshesh Thakar, social activist Geeta Shroff, retired civil servant C L Meena.

The court noted that the petitioner did not challenge the authority or the decision of the government itself but merely sought the replacement of current committee members with new ones. Such a demand is not maintainable within the scope of a mandamus petition, which cannot direct specific appointments. After hearing both sides, the high court dismissed the writ petition outright.