‘UCC can’t be forced on people by agenda-driven majoritarian govt’: Chidambaram after PM Modi’s pitch in Bhopal

“A UCC is an aspiration. It cannot be forced on the people by an agenda-driven majoritarian government The Hon’ble PM is making it appear that UCC is a simple exercise. He should read the report of the last Law Commission that pointed out it was not feasible at this time,” he said.

The former Union minister claimed the Prime Minister was batting for UCC to divert people’s attention from issues of unemployment, price rise and hate crimes. He also alleged the BJP was using UCC to polarise the society.

Chidambaram added, “Having failed in good governance, the BJP is deploying the UCC to polarise the electorate and attempt to win the next elections.”

Addressing BJP booth-level workers at a party event called ‘Mera Booth, Sabse Mazboot’ in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday, Modi said the Opposition was trying to “instigate” Muslims on the UCC issue while not caring for their welfare. “Today we are witnessing how efforts are being made to instigate people in the name of a Uniform Civil Code. Tell me, if in one house, there is one law for one family member and another for another family member, can that house function?… How can a country function with such a dual system? We must remember that the Indian Constitution also speaks of equal rights for citizens,” he said.

The Hon’ble PM has equated a Nation to a Family while pitching for the Uniform Civil Code (UCC)

While in an abstract sense his comparison may appear true, the reality is very different

A family is knit together by blood relationships. A nation is brought together by a…

— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) June 28, 2023

Speaking to news agency ANI, Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath said, “Today the issues of the public are unemployment, corruption, inflation. How many people know about UCC (Uniform Civil Code)? Let them talk about their things, we will talk about our things: Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath on PM Modi’s statement on UCC

#WATCH | Today the issues of the public are unemployment, corruption, inflation. How many people know about UCC (Uniform Civil Code)? Let them talk about their things, we will talk about our things: Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath on PM Modi's statement on UCC pic.twitter.com/JJk684jnSi

— ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) June 28, 2023

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Meanwhile, Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor said as far as triple talaq is concerned, “it is already illegal in the Supreme Court ruling”. Speaking to news agency ANI, Tharoor said, “…You have to look at the logic. We are not saying triple talaq is good. It is bad. We are saying, how can you criminalise the abandonment of a wife by a husband in one faith when it is not a criminal offence in other faiths. It’s only a civil offence”.

In a tweet, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi said the PM considers India’s diversity and pluralism a problem. “That is why such things are said. They say one nation, one election, one tax, one law, one culture, one religion, one identity and now they even talk about one fertiliser. That is his biggest problem,” he said.

“India’s Prime Minister is now talking about Uniform Civil Code. Are you going to snatch away pluralism, diversity in the name of Uniform Civil Code?” he said, news agency PTI reported.

“…he (PM) is not talking about Uniform Civil Code. He is talking about ‘Hindu Civil Code’. (They) will treat all Islamic references of practices as illegal and the Prime Minister will protect Hindu practices under the law,” he said.

Hitting back at the AIMIM chief, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishwar said, “Owaisi is speaking the language of Congress and the British. He is against the development of women of his own community”

VIDEO | “Owaisi is speaking the language of Congress and the British. He is against the development of women of his own community,” says Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra on AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi’s remark on uniform civil code. pic.twitter.com/stzJcy4v3V

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 28, 2023

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) attacked PM Modi, saying he should not make such issues an instrument of “dog-whistle politics”. Reacting to the prime minister’s remarks, RJD spokesperson Manj Jha Tuesday said that hearing the prime minister makes one feel that he is looking for occasions to make “dog whistles”.

“Before speaking, the prime minister should have examined what the 21st Law Commission had said, deeply analysed debates of the constituent assembly without taking help because those out to help you, end up causing harm through you,” Jha said.

Accusing the BJP of doing vote bank politics, Janata Dal (United) leader KC Tyagi Tuesday told news agency ANI, “All political parties and stakeholders should be engaged on the issue of the Uniform Civil Code.”

DMK’s T K S Elangovan said, “UCC should be first implemented in Hinduism. Everybody, the Scheduled Castes or Tribes or the upper caste people..they should be allowed to perform pujas in any temple in India. So, he must first implement UCC in Hinduism. Why should one class of people go and perform pujas and others cannot even enter the sanctum sanctorum of a temple?”

#WATCH | Uniform Civil Code 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: DMK leader TKS… pic.twitter.com/cZew1wnO4P

— ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2023