Opposition parties, including Congress, AIMIM and DMK, on Tuesday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks on Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and said that instead of addressing the issues such as Manipur violence, unemployment, and price rise, he is batting for the implementation of UCC.
PM Modi, while addressing BJP workers under the ‘Mera Booth Sabse Majboot’ campaign in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, asked if a country can run on two different laws. PM Modi said, “Will a family function if there are two different sets of rules for people? Then how will a country run? Our Constitution too guarantees equal rights to all people.”
PM Modi also accused the Opposition of vote-bank politics and appeasement, which he claimed had left many people behind, including the Pasmanda Muslims. “Supreme Court has also asked for the implementation of the UCC. But these people are hungry only for vote bank,” the prime minister said.
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Opposition slams PM’s remarks
Reacting to PM Modi’s remarks on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said that PM Modi should first talk about poverty, price rise, and unemployment in the country. Venugopal also attacked PM Modi for not speaking up on Manipur violence. “The whole state is burning,” Venugopal said.
The Congress leader said, “He [PM Modi] should first answer about poverty, price rise, and unemployment in the country. He never speaks on [the] Manipur issue, the whole state is burning. He is just distracting people from all these issues.”
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AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi challenged PM Modi to abolish Hindu Undivided Family under the Hindu Law. Owaisi said, “India’s PM considers India’s diversity and its pluralism a problem. So, he says such things…Will you strip the country of its pluralism and diversity in the name of a UCC? When he speaks of UCC, he is speaking of Hindu Civil Code… I challenge him – can he abolish Hindu Undivided Family? Go and tell the Sikhs in Punjab about UCC and see what will be the reaction there.”
“All political parties and stakeholders should be engaged on the issue of the Uniform Civil Code. Only BJP does vote bank politics,” senior JD(U) leader KC Tyagi said.
Congress leader Tariq Anwar said, “When any law is made it is for everyone and they have to follow it. Then what is the need to discuss that bill which has already been passed? PM Modi is doing so because elections are ahead and they have done nothing for the country.”
Another Congress leader reminded PM Modi that he has taken oath on the Constitution. “PM should remember that he has taken oath on the Constitution drafted by Dr BR Ambedkar. All sections of the country have faith in Constitution and will not allow it to change,” Arif Masood said.
Meanwhile, DMK leader TKS Elangovan said that the Uniform Civil Code should first be introduced in Hindu religion. “UCC should be first introduced in the Hindu religion. Every person including SC/ST should be allowed to perform pooja in any temple in the country. We don’t want UCC only because the Constitution has given protection to every religion,” TKS Elangovan said.