New Delhi: Government has not taken any decision to frame a uniform civil code, Law and Justice Minister Arun Jaitley said in Lok Sabha on August 22.

However, government amended the personal laws of different communities only in consultation with them and political leaders, he said in reply to a short notice question.

Asked by AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) members about a timeframe for evolving a uniform civil code, the Minister said a debate on the matter had been going on for quite some time.

There were "strong views" in favour and against and hence there was need for a debate on the issue, he said.

Jaitley said making amendments in the personal laws to bring them in consonance with the constitutional guarantees was done only after discussions with community and political leaders and added that several such laws had been amended in the past, including those of the Christians.

In recent years, amendment to several personal laws like Special Marriage Act, 1954, the Indian Divorce (Amendment) Act, 2001 and the Indian Succession (Amendment) Act were made after due consultations.

Muslim League member G M Banatwalla asked the government to clarify that the Supreme Court had not delivered a verdict on uniform civil code and one judge of a three-member bench had "expressed his personal opinion" on the matter. To this, Jaitley said a debate on the issue was necessary.

PTI