AAP weighs in on UCC: In principle support but need consensus, wider consultation

The development comes a day after PM Narendra Modi said the country cannot have separate laws for its people and that the Constitution obligates the State to secure a UCC.

“We support UCC in principle. Article 44 also says there should be UCC in the country. But…there should be wider consultation with all religious leaders, political parties, and organisations, and a consensus should be built. Some decisions cannot be reversed, some matters are fundamental to the nation. Authoritarian decisions cannot be taken,” AAP national general secretary said.

Pathak’s statement came when he was asked by reporters about the AAP’s stand on the issue.“How it is executed or implemented can only be decided by consensus. Without that you cannot implement something like this which will anger and sadden a lot of people,” he said.

Opposition parties have accused Modi of resorting to “divisive politics” to divert attention from his government’s failure on several fronts. The AAP’s stand on UCC comes at a time when talks on opposition unity ahead of the 2024 polls are underway. A meeting of 15 opposition parties, including representatives from AAP and Congress, was held in Patna last week but the AAP came out of the meeting dissatisfied, primarily because of the Congress decision to not issue a public statement denouncing the Centre’s ordinance regarding governance structures in Delhi. AAP’s attempts to hold a one-on-one meeting with Congress’ Rahul Gandhi have also been rebuffed, sources said.

Announcing that AAP will contest on all seven seats in Delhi in 2024 polls, Pathak said that opposition unity depends on Congress’s “attitude”. “The nation wants for the parties to come together and overthrow the BJP government. This depends on Congress. It if has a positive attitude…then it’s well and good. But if it is arrogant, things will be difficult,” he said.