BJP serves notice to its ex-MLA for alleged violation of UCC norm

The Uttarakhand BJP has finally acted against its former Haridwar MLA Suresh Rathore for allegedly marrying his long-term partner in 2021 without divorcing his first wife. However, denying his second marriage, Rathore said the party cannot take action against him under the Uniform Civil Code.

Nevertheless, the senior BJP leader is accused of violating UCC norms by falling in love with a woman and marrying actor Urmila Sanawar despite having a wife and children.

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Rathore is also accused of violating the UCC norms with his live-in relationship with Urmila.

Cornered by the Opposition and the media over the violation of the UCC by its leader, the BJP came into action and served a notice on Rathore on June 23, 2025 demanding his reply within seven days.

“Suresh Rathore has been issued a notice for his actions that tarnished the image of the party. His intemperate conduct and actions that come in purview of disciplinary action had a poor reflection on the party’s image,” said BJP media incharge and senior party spokesperson Manvir Singh Chauhan.

The show-cause notice to Suresh Rathore is followed by instructions from state BJP president Mahendra Bhatt on Tuesday. It’s learnt Suresh Rathore married Urmila Sanawar only after their relationship went public. The couple are said to have married in Saharanpur after their slugest on social media had gone viral. However, Rathore, in a statement, still denied his marriage to Urmila. “Have you or anyone else seen my marriage ceremony or its photographs? I have not married anyone,” he asserted on Wednesday.

Earlier, he had told the media that he had already married in 2021 when the UCC was not enacted.