‘It was Bal Thackeray’s dream’: Shinde Sena MP Rahul Shewale says party supports UCC

Rahul Shewale also attacked Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray for meeting members of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, saying ‘his real face has been exposed’

Shewale said that this was one of the three dreams that Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray had for the country. (Express archive photo by Pradip Das)

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Shiv Sena MP Rahul Shewale, who belongs to the faction headed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, declared the party’s complete support to the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC) on Friday, the first anniversary of the Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government.

The Lok Sabha MP from south-central Mumbai was speaking at a press conference in Mumbai alongside MPs Hemant Patil and Krupal Tumane.

Shewale said that this was one of the three dreams that Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray had for the country. “Balasaheb had three dreams – setting up a grand Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, scrapping Article 370, and implementing a Uniform Civil Code in the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has fulfilled two of his dreams and the last dream of having a UCC will be completed soon,” Shewale said. Bal supported the UCC because it is in the interest of every citizen, especially women, who need equal status under the law, Shewale added.

He also attacked Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray for meeting members of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board. “His father openly supported the UCC. Yet today, he is wary of it and even spreading misinformation about Hindus getting affected by it. The leaders of the Muslim personal board went to meet Uddhav Thackeray because they know that he will oppose it. His real face has been exposed and the people of Maharashtra are watching it,” Shewale said. “The law is not against any community. Uddhav Thackeray said that the law will affect Hindus, it will not affect Hindus, it will only affect the Gandhis and that is why he is opposing it,” he added.

Pointing out that former President A P J Abdul Kalam supported UCC in 2003 and that the Supreme Court had also emphasised the need for it, Shewale said the Shiv Sena led by Shinde was “committed to Balasaheb’s vision of one nation, one law”. “Even Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar was in favour of the UCC but it was the Congress who did not allow the law to be implemented in the country for 75 years,” he added.

Shewale said they will request Shinde to approve a resolution in support of UCC in the upcoming monsoon session of the state legislature and send it to the Centre to let them know Maharashtra’s stand on the issue. “We also request PM Modi to hold a discussion on the UCC in the Parliament’s monsoon session and a whip will be issued to all Sena MPs to support it,” he added.

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