Govt hits back at Congress over remarks on uniform civil code

NEW DELHI: The government today said the Congress was running away from its legacy of creating an architecture for a uniform civil code, hitting back at the opposition party for its reported remarks before the Law Commission that the Centre was trying to "foment divisiveness" in the name of a common law.

Responding to Congress' reported submission before the Law Commission that the government was trying to divide the society along religious and cultural lines over the common code, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said framers of the Constitution, including Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajendra Prasad, Maulana Azad and B R Ambedkar, were great leaders and Congressmen.

"Does the Congress believe in their legacy in creating the architecture of uniform civil code? As far as we are concerned, we are very clear that let there be an exhaustive, elaborate debate before the law is made. If you want to oppose, say so openly (before the law panel). Why run away and not respond?" he told reporters here.

He said the framers of the Constitution had put Article 44 in the document regarding a uniform code.

According to a news report, instead of categorically supporting or rejecting a common code, Congress has imputed serious motives to the endeavour initiated by the Centre.