Electoral agenda behind BJP’s UCC move, says Kerala CM; Union minister urges Muslims not to fall for propaganda

The chief minister said rather than imposing a Uniform Civil Code, efforts should be made to reform and amend discriminatory practices within personal laws, and the support of all parties concerned should be sought for this.

Also Read: Law Commission seeks views from public, religious bodies on UCC

‘Majoritarian agenda’

“Triggering debates around Uniform Civil Code is an electoral ploy by Sangh Parivar to press their majoritarian agenda for deepening communal divide. Let’s oppose any attempts to undermine India’s pluralism and support reforms through democratic discussions within communities,” the chief minister said in a tweet later.

Triggering debates around Uniform Civil Code is an electoral ploy by Sangh Parivar to press their majoritarian agenda for deepening communal divide. Let’s oppose any attempts to undermine India’s pluralism and support reforms through democratic discussions within communities.

— Pinarayi Vijayan (@pinarayivijayan) June 30, 2023

Vijayan, in his statement, said reform movements in any religion have arisen from within them, and this is not an issue that can be resolved by a quick executive decision.

Stating that the previous Law Commission in 2018 had opined that a Uniform Civil Code was “neither necessary nor desirable” at this stage, Vijayan, also a politburo member of the CPI(M), said the proponents of the new move should first explain how the situation to deviate from that position suddenly arose.

Also Read: PM Modi invokes UCC ahead of polls

‘India embraces diversity’

He said the uniqueness of India is that it embraces diversity and differences and does not efface plurality to bring in uniformity.
What is needed is to reform personal laws in tune with the times, and not unify them based on a specific agenda, the chief minister added.

Vijayan’s statement came days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi pushed for the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code in the country and said Muslims are being instigated over the sensitive issue.

Addressing a gathering of party workers in Bhopal on 27 June, the prime minister said even the Supreme Court has advocated for a Uniform Civil Code, but those practising vote bank politics are opposing it.

He also asked how the country can have two systems, touching upon an issue closely identified with the BJP with less than a year left for the Lok Sabha polls.

Don’t fall for propaganda, Muraleedharan tells Muslims

Meanwhile, Union Minister V Muraleedharan on Saturday urged the Muslim community in Kerala not to fall for the propaganda by the ruling CPI(M) and others against the UCC.

The Union government’s decision on the implementation of UCC was not with an eye on the general elections scheduled to be held next year, but the Constitution is the criteria for everything, he told reporters in the Kerala capital Thiruvananthapuram.

The senior BJP leader wondered whether the architects of the Constitution had written all these with an eye on the elections.

“The Muslim community should not fall for the propaganda by the CPI(M) and others against the UCC,” Muraleedharan said. The attitude that there should be no discussion on the UCC is unacceptable, he added.

Noting that the BJP was placing the issue in the public domain, the minister asked his political opponents to welcome it without any fear.

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