Telangana CM opposes UCC, calls it ‘malicious attempt’ by Centre to divide India

Telangana Chief Minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) president, K Chandrashekar Rao, expressed his party’s firm stance against the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), characterising it as a “malicious attempt” by the central government to undermine India’s diversity. In a statement, he criticised the BJP-led Union Government for neglecting the country’s development and the welfare of its people over the past nine years.

KCR’s opposition to the UCC was announced following a meeting with a delegation comprising members of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and heads of Muslim religious organisations, led by Asaduddin Owaisi, the Hyderabad MP and president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen.

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KCR stated “It is clear that the imposition of UCC is a malicious attempt by the Union government. The BJP government has been ignoring the development of the country and people’s welfare for the last nine years. The BJP plotted to instigate people by promoting divisive politics by raking up clashes between the communities to derive political benefits through the UCC bill.”

Highlighting that the BJP government’s decisions are not detrimental to the unity of the citizens of the country, he said, “It is the main reason, we are opposing the UCC bill which is being introduced by the BJP-led government soon.”

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The chief minister highlighted India’s rich tapestry of cultures, traditions, castes, and religions, asserting that the country serves as a role model for unity in diversity to the world. To safeguard this diversity, he affirmed the BRS’s firm opposition to the UCC, promising to unite with like-minded political parties to fight against its implementation in the upcoming parliamentary session.
Additionally, KCR instructed parliamentary party leaders K Keshava Rao and Nama Nageshwar Rao to devise an action plan to counter the central government’s efforts in both Houses of Parliament. He expressed concern that the UCC has caused confusion and worry among tribals, who possess unique cultural practices, as well as individuals from diverse castes and religions, including Hindus.

The AIMPLB delegation expressed gratitude to KCR for opposing the UCC and supporting their mission to safeguard India’s diverse heritage and protect the customs of all people, or ‘Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb’ regardless of their religious or regional background.

During the meeting, the AIMPLB delegation emphasised the beauty of India’s pluralism and secularism, stating that “In the false garb of ‘uniformity’ or ‘equality’, our diversity of cultures cannot be disturbed. Such imposed ‘uniformity’ will destroy our constitution and replace it with a theocracy in all but name.”
They argued that such imposition of uniformity would undermine the constitution and effectively establish a theocratic system.

Citing constitutional provisions, “Similarly, Article 25 empowers every individual to exercise their freedom of religion. The union government’s proposal for a uniform civil code is an open violation of our fundamental rights. This would be a majoritarian step that is bound to alienate minorities,” a written representation to the CM from AIMPLB president Khalid Saifullah Rahmani and other members said, according to The Indian Express.

After the meeting, Asaduddin Owaisi, speaking on behalf of the delegation, emphasised that opposition to the UCC should not be confined to Muslim minorities alone but should be supported by Christians, tribals, and even Hindus. He criticised the prime minister for allegedly disregarding pluralism and misleading the nation, stressing the need to rally against the UCC to protect India’s secularism and diversity.

He added they shared important points from a 74-page note that AIMPLB has shared with the Law Commission stating its stance against UCC.

“This is not an issue concerning the Muslim minorities alone but also affects Christians, tribals and even the Hindus. This is not good for the country. The prime minister is allergic to pluralism and has been misguiding the country. A strong opposition to UCC is needed to preserve our secularism and diversity,” he said.