Mockingly acknowledging the Congress’ "guarantees", PM Modi said the Opposition was a "guarantee of scams worth over ₹20 lakh crore".
Published Jun 27, 2023 | 7:24 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 27, 2023 | 7:25 PM
Modi speaking during 'Mera Booth Sabse Majboot' campaign in Bhopal. (Twitter)
Ahead of Assembly elections in key states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh — that are part of regions deemed as the Hindu-Hindi heartland — Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, 27 June, invoked the need for a Uniform Civil Code (UCC).
The prime minister’s push for the UCC comes barely days after the 22nd Law Commission of India sought views from the public on such a code.
With his pitch on the UCC at a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) event in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh’s Bhopal, Modi made it clear that it would be a priority poll plank for the saffron party — whether in the upcoming state Assembly elections or the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Even as Modi accused the Opposition parties of “appeasement and vote bank politics”, the Congress and other key Opposition parties asked the Prime Minister to focus on real issues like the internal strife in Manipur, and rising poverty and unemployment in the country.
“The BJP has decided it will not adopt the path of appeasement and vote bank politics,” said Modi while invoking the UCC.
“Even the Supreme Court has advocated for the UCC, but those practising vote-bank politics are opposing it,” claimed Modi while addressing BJP workers selected from across the country for boosting the BJP’s “Mera Booth Sabse Majboot” campaign.
“The Indian Constitution also talks about uniform rights for the people of the country. The BJP follows the path of ‘santushtikaran‘ (satisfaction) instead of ‘tushtikaran‘ (appeasement),” he added.
The prime minister’s pitch for the UCC — which has been vehemently opposed not just by religious minorities in India but also tribal councils, scheduled tribes, and several sects and communities within the Hindu fold — comes barely days after he told reporters in the White House in the US that there was no discrimination based on caste, creed, or religion, in India.
Modi alleged that Pasmanda Muslims, who are backward, are not treated as equal because of vote-bank politics.
“Pasmanda”, a term for backward classes among Muslims, often finds a mention in Modi’s speeches at party forums as well as at government events.
The BJP believes it is in a position to make inroads into the Muslim voter base in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, a view emboldened by its win in the last year’s Lok Sabha by-polls in the Muslim-dominated seats of Azamgarh and Rampur in Uttar Pradesh.
Talking about the UCC, the prime minister said Indian Muslims have to understand which political parties are taking advantage of them by provoking them.
“We are seeing that work is being done to instigate such people in the name of the UCC. If there is one law for one member in a house and another for the other, will the house be able to run? So, how will the country be able to run with such a dual system?” he wondered.
“If you want the welfare of your sons, daughters, and grandchildren, then vote for the BJP and not any family-oriented parties,” he said.
Exuding confidence in coming back to power after the Lok Sabha polls due next year, Modi said, “People have made up their mind to bring the BJP to power again in 2024.”
In what came as a clear acknowledgement — albeit a mocking one — of the Congress’ “guarantees” that fuelled the party’s victory in Karnataka, Modi said the term was gaining currency these days.
“It is a big responsibility of the BJP workers to tell the people that the Opposition (parties) is a guarantee of scams worth over ₹ 20 lakh crore,” Modi said, taking a dig at the Congress’ guarantees as well as efforts for a united Opposition front ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Modi appeared to give his own guarantee that his government would take action against those involved in “scams”.
Amid efforts by the Opposition parties to come together to take on the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections next year, Modi said, “We should not have a feeling of anger but compassion towards those who are uniting against the BJP.”
Modi’s pitch for the UCC drew sharp criticism from Opposition parties, with the Congress deeming it an attempt to distract people from real issues.
“He (Modi) should first answer on poverty, price rise, and unemployment in the country. He never speaks abut Manipur. The whole state is burning. He is just distracting people from all these issues,” said a statement from Congress general secretary KC Venugopal.
The Congress’ ally DMK went a step further, asking for the UCC to apply to Hindus first.
Senior DMK leader TKS Elangovan on Tuesday said the UCC should apply to Hindus first, allowing everyone — including Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities — to perform poojas in temples across the country.
“We don’t want the UCC only because the Constitution has given protection to every religion,” Elangovan told reporters.
