With UCC, BJP seeks to divide people of the country: Congress

Representative image. Credit: IANS Photo

Representative image. Credit: IANS Photo

NEW DELHI, JUNE 30 (MExN): On the Uniform Civil Code issue, the Congress on Friday attacked the BJP, alleging that it seeks to divide people and spread hatred; days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong pitch for bringing the common code.

UCC relates to a common law pertaining to marriage, divorce, inheritance, maintenance and succession of property for all citizens.

This is not a UCC, but a "DCC - Dividing Civil Code" that seeks to divide the country's politics, Congress spokesperson Meem Afzal said and added that the "UCC is not the agenda, rather the agenda is to divide the people of the country," according to a PTI report. 

"The issue is to divide politics and people and spread hatred among them. Even the prime minister is naming a particular section of people, whereas this issue is not of one section. This is an issue of every section, every religion and every language. If you are doing some work, it should be acceptable to all," he said.

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari also said according to his understanding of the law, "review of personal laws means a review of existing personal laws" and "the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is not law as yet." 

Opposition parties have termed the move as one aimed at polarising society ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, PTI reported. 

Kerala Chief Minister and senior CPI-M leader Pinarayi Vijayan alleged that the BJP's electoral agenda is behind raking up the issue of UCC and urged the central government to withdraw from implementing the code.

The Centre's move can only be seen as a plan to implement the "majority communal agenda of 'one nation, one culture' by wiping out the cultural diversity of the country, he said in statement.  "The Central Government and the Law Commission should withdraw from the move to impose the Uniform Civil Code," Vijayan said.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said UCC will soon be implemented in his state. He tweeted this after a committee of experts set up by the state government announced a draft is ready.

UCC will be implemented soon: Ravi Shankar Prasad
Former Law Minister and senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Friday that despite all the opposition, Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will be implemented in the country soon.

“Objections are being raised on every new policy and the UCC issue in no different. I want to say that UCC will be implemented soon,” Prasad said, an IANS report stated. 

He said that revocation of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir was also opposed, but the Narendra Modi government went ahead with the move. 

“Triple Talaq was removed despite opposition. The construction of Ram temple is underway in Ayodhya. Similarly, Kashi Vishwanath temple was constructed, so was the Kedarnath Dham temple. Terrorists are also being killed. In the same manner, UCC will also be implemented in the country,” he said. 

Earlier, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Kumar Modi said that there is a committee, which discusses such issues. 
“The discussion regarding UCC will be held on July 3 in Delhi. It is a neutral committee and the discussion will take place beyond any party politics,” Modi said.