Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday said that the Aam Aadmi Party is a secular party and will not support any divisive tactics to gain votes. Mann’s statement came days after AAP leader and general secretary Sandeep Pathak said the party supports the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) “in principle”.
AAP general secretary, on June 28, said the party supports the UCC “in principle” but with certain conditions.
Also Read: House Panel meets on UCC: Opposition questions timing, feasibility of Uniform Civil Code
Addressing the media on Tuesday, CM Mann questioned the Centre over its UCC proposal and called it a “sensitive issue”.
“Our country is like a bouquet, which has flowers of every colour. Every religion and faith and also their rituals should be respected. Why do they keep tampering with such sensitive issues? They should follow the Constitution that says if everyone is socially equal, then there can be a UCC,” he said.
Also Read: Delhi: Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami meets PM Modi amid BJP’s UCC push
The AAP’s statement of “in principle” support had riled the Congress which criticised it for “backing the BJP-led Union government’s agenda of polarisation ahead of the 2024 general elections”.
Hitting back at the Congress, Mann cornered the grand old party over its stand on the central government’s ordinance on control of services in Delhi.
“The AAP is a national party. In 2024, we have to save the country. If they change the Constitution then what is the country? The ordinance is unconstitutional. If they are allowed to do this today then they can attack federalism in all other states. The Congress is the worst hit. It should oppose the ordinance and support the AAP,” he said.