No threat to tribal rights under UCC, says Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday asserted that the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will not affect tribals in any way and urged the community not to fall for "conspiracies" and misinformation being spread over the issue. Addressing a tribal conclave to mark the 150th birth anniversary year of Birsa Munda at Red Fort grounds in New Delhi, Shah said special provisions have been made in BJP-ruled states implementing the UCC to keep tribal communities out of its ambit. "A conspiracy has now begun claiming that the Uniform Civil Code will deprive tribal communities of their culture, traditions and their right to live according to their customs," Shah said.

मोदी जी ने जनजातीय समाज को UCC से बाहर रखा है, किसी के भ्रम या बहकावे में न आएँ। pic.twitter.com/xhkBlllcRJ

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 24, 2026

Referring to Naxalism, Shah said the Modi government has eliminated the five-decade-old scourge, and that today the country has become completely free from the Naxal problem. The home minister also spoke about religious conversions in tribal areas and said no one has the right to forcibly convert another person’s faith. Shah also attacked previous Congress governments over tribal welfare spending and claimed that the Modi government has significantly increased the budget for the community. "Earlier, the total budget for tribal welfare was only Rs 28,000 crore. Narendra Modi increased it to Rs 1.54 lakh crore," he said.