On June 28, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) extended its support “in principal” to BJP on Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and have asked for more comprehensive consultations with all the stakeholders in the society.
While talking to the media, AAP national general secretary Sandeep Pathak stated, “In principle, we support Uniform Civil Code (UCC) as Article 44 also says that there should be UCC in the country. However, it should be implemented after wider consultation with everyone. We feel that there should be wide consultation with all religions, political parties and organizations and a consensus should be built”.
#WATCH | We support Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in principle as Article 44 also says that there should be UCC in the country. Therefore, there should be a wide consultation with all religions, political parties and organizations and a consensus should be built: AAP leader Sandeep… pic.twitter.com/kiZoOpcgcS
— ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2023
Earlier, batting for the UCC, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 27 stated that the country could not be governed with “two laws” when the constitution of India talks about equality for all. He asked how different rules could apply to different family members.
“Will a family function if there are two different sets of rules for people? Then how will a country run? Our constitution too guarantees equal rights to all people,” PM Modi said in Bhopal while addressing party workers under the BJP’s “Mera Booth Sabse Majboot” campaign.
Prime Minister Modi further said that people are being instigated in the name of the Uniform Civil Code. He said that appeasement politics had left many people behind, including the Pasmanda Muslims.
“Pasmanda Muslims have become a victim of politics. Some people are using the politics of appeasement to break the country. The BJP cadre should go and explain this to the Muslims and educate them so that they do not fall victim to such politics” PM Modi said.
“If they were really supportive of Muslims the Muslim brothers would not be poor or deprived…Supreme Court has also asked for the implementation of the UCC. But these people are hungry only for vote bank,” Modi said, accusing the Opposition in the country of employing vote-bank politics of appeasement.
Prime Minister Modi asked if the practice of triple talaq was inalienable from Islam, then why was it not practised in Muslim-majority countries like Egypt, Indonesia, Qatar, Jordan, Syria, Bangladesh, and Pakistan?
“I feel that whoever is supporting triple talaq are doing vote bank politics of appeasement. They are doing injustice to our Muslim sisters for votes only. Some people think this issue concerns only women, but it’s beyond this. Triple Talaq damages the entire family. If the practice was inalienable to the community, it would have not been removed from Muslim countries,” PM Modi said.
After Prime Minister’s remarks on UCC, several parties, including the Congress, the DMK, and the Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM, accused Narendra Modi of engaging in “divisive politics”.
Even on June 27, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) held an emergency meeting late at night. In the meeting, AIMPLB decided to oppose the UCC. The board members decided that the Muslim law board would present their side in front of the Law Commission on UCC and would also present the documents.
AIMPLB president Saifullah Rehmani, Chairman of the Islamic Centre of India and member of AIMPLB Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali, and AIMPLB lawyers, among others, attended the meeting.
About UCC
The Uniform Civil Code is a proposal in India to formulate and implement personal laws of citizens which apply to all citizens equally regardless of their religion, sex, gender and sexual orientation. Currently, the personal laws of various communities are governed by their religious scriptures.
The code comes under Article 44 of the Constitution, which states that the state shall endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code for the citizens throughout the territory of India.
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