Cong opposing UCC for vote bank politics, succumbing to pressure from fundamentalists: BJP

The BJP on Thursday slammed the Congress over its remark on the Law Commission seeking public opinion on a uniform civil code, saying it has succumbed to pressure from ”fundamentalists” and is opposing the move for vote bank politics.

The BJP is committed towards the implementation of the unform civil code (UCC), party national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said. The Congress has said the Law Commission’s latest attempt to seek fresh public opinion on the UCC represents the Narendra Modi government’s desperation for continuing with its agenda of polarisation and diversion from its failures.

In a statement, Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said it is strange that the Law Commission is seeking a fresh reference when it acknowledges that its predecessor, the 21st Law Commission, had published a consultation paper on the subject in August 2018.

Reacting to the Congress’ remark, Poonawalla told PTI that ”uniform civil code has been advocated for by various courts, including the Supreme Court”. ”However, it is unfortunate that it has now become a subject matter of vote bank politics by some people,” he said and noted that the Congress was in power in Goa when the UCC was retained in the state.

”This is something that the Congress should have adopted because it was Jawaharlal Nehru (the first prime minister) and the founding fathers (of the Constitution), many of whom were from the Congress, who had advocated for the UCC,” the BJP spokesperson said.

Poonawalla said the UCC is part of the directive principles of the state policy and ”it is something that our Constitution founders felt important to include in the Constitution”.

”Unfortunately, the Congress is succumbing to the pressure of hardliners and fundamentalists. They want only to play vote bank politics,” he said.

Poonawalla asserted that the BJP is ”committed” towards the implementation of the UCC.

”In this regard, our state governments have taken various steps. In Gujarat and Uttarakhand, the committees have been formed for consultation and for drafting (of the UCC),” he said.

The BJP spokesperson said the Law Commission is an independent body and it has also taken a step in this direction to have public consultation on the UCC. ”The law commission is entitled to do so. One should not see politics into the issues of women empowerment. The UCC is a tool for empowerment of women. But for the Congress ‘ladki hoon, lad sakti hoon’ is a mere hollow slogan. They do not believe in it, or else they would have supported the UCC,” he said.

The Congress has been ”constantly sacrificing women rights, women empowerment and women issues” because of vote bank, Poonawalla alleged.