United Opposition voice against Modi’s UCC remark with Cong being cautious
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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mention of the contentious Uniform Civil Code (UCC) can be seen as an attempt to make UCC a weapon to defend it against the background of a united opposition front that is forming ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
While the last two BJP governments under Prime Minister Modi have, more or less, succeeded in implementing the promises made in their election manifestos, such as the construction of Ram Mandir and the revocation of Article 370, one of the key promises yet to be implemented is the UCC.
However, the government tactically dodges the real-life issues like rising food prices, unemployment, and inadequate healthcare, by touching on matters of faith that emotionally bind like-minded people together.
The Congress party, in response to PM Modi's mention of the UCC, deliberately refrained from discussing the merits of the UCC, possibly due to concerns about losing support from the majority community. Instead, they accused PM Modi of diverting attention from the urgent issues faced by the public.
Congress leader and AICC general secretary K C Venugopal highlighted the government's silence on burning issues such as the ongoing unrest in Manipur, rising prices, and unemployment. He criticized the Prime Minister for evading accountability, stating, "This (UCC) is an attempt to divert attention and run away from his government's failures... he has to answer the real questions of this country."
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) echoed similar sentiments, accusing the Prime Minister of engaging in divisive politics due to his inability to fulfil promises related to job creation, controlling inflation, and maintaining social harmony.
Derek O'Brien, leader of the TMC Parliamentary Party in Rajya Sabha, remarked, "When you cannot deliver on jobs, when you cannot control price rise, when you rip the social fabric, when you fail to keep every promise made... all you can do, in your desperation, is to fan the flame with your deeply divisive politics before 2024."
RJD's Manoj Kumar Jha criticized the Prime Minister for engaging in dog-whistle politics and urged him to thoroughly study the 21st Law Commission's report and the discussions held in the Constituent Assembly. Jha cautioned against relying solely on advisers, as their assistance could potentially lead to political damage.
Asaduddin Owaisi, leader of the AIMIM, accused the Prime Minister of considering India's diversity and pluralism as problems, citing the government's push for uniformity in various aspects. Owaisi stated, "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 fertilizer. That is his biggest problem."
DMK's T K S Elangovan proposed that the implementation of the UCC should begin within Hinduism itself, advocating equal access for all individuals, regardless of their caste or background, to perform religious rituals in temples across India. Elangovan emphasized the need for consistency before extending the UCC to other religions.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) supported the 2018 conclusion of the last Law Commission, which stated that a UCC is neither necessary nor desirable at this stage. The party stood by this stance, endorsing the Commission's view.
