Uniform civil code 'typical BJP pre-UP poll stunt': Congress

NEW DELHI: Congress has slammed the Centre for its move to ask the Law Commission to examine the uniform civil code, calling it a “pre-poll stunt” ahead of Uttar Pradesh election while the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and its ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh hailed the development.

ET had on Friday first reported that the Modi government had asked the commission to look into the politically sensitive matter of imposing a uniform civil code on people across faiths in the country. “This is a typical BJP pre-UP poll stunt just as the party makes it a point to rake up the issue of Ayodhya and Article 370 before every election,” Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said.

BJP National Secretary Shrikant Sharma, however, said the time has come for implementation of uniform civil code (UCC), provision for which is there in Article 44 of the Constitution under the Directive Principles. “Those who oppose UCC are in fact intolerant towards the Constitution. This country should be governed as per the Constitution and not according to some fatwa or diktat,” he said.

Singhvi said had the government been serious about implementing a uniform civil code, it would not have referred the matter to the commission.

“The Law Commission gets all kinds of issues routinely referred to it. But, if the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) government was indeed serious about the implementation of uniform civil code, it would have taken concrete steps to build a larger consensus among the parties on the issue as everybody is very well aware that the implementation of UCC would require a larger consensus,” Singhvi said.

A senior RSS leader backed the move while emphasising that he would first like to go through the government proposal. “The Constitution itself says there should be UCC in the country. If the government is really doing it, it is a welcome step. It is good that efforts are being made in this direction,” the leader said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

A BJP leader said the party has the support of “women from the minority community” on this issue as they feel persecuted under the personal laws of their religion.

Congress has time and again said the party has not formulated a collective stand on UCC. But the government’s move, coming at a time when Congress is seeking to woo a section of Hindu voters in Uttar Pradesh ahead of next year’s assembly election, smacks of a bid to polarise the electorate in BJP’s favour, a Congress leader said.

Sharma dismissed this charge, saying there are elections every six months and the Centre cannot keep waiting and not do anything on such important issues.