Shah reiterates UCC pledge, continues to find fault with Cong’s ‘pro-Muslim policies’

Union home minister Amit Shah underlined the country would be run as per UCC, which he said was in line with the basic spirit of the Constitution

Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday reiterated the promise of implementing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) nationally along the lines of Uttarakhand if they are voted back to power for a third time this summer even as he continued to find fault with Congress’s alleged pro-Muslim policies.

Union home minister Amit Shah attacked Congress over its stance on personal laws. (PTI)

He underlined the country would be run as per UCC, which he said was in line with the basic spirit of the Constitution. “We have brought UCC in Uttarakhand and [Prime Minister] Narendra Modi has guaranteed that we will implement UCC across the country,” he said at a rally in support of Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in Madhya Pradesh’s Guna, which is due to go to the polls on May 7 in the third of the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls.

He praised Scindia, saying he is most supportive of development. “The Scindia family has nurtured this area.” Shah cited development projects in the region while calling Scindia his friend. “While making him win, remember that a vote cast for Scindia will go to Modi.”

Shah attacked Congress over its stance on personal laws. “In its manifesto, Congress said they will re-implement personal laws. They [Congress] want to bring Muslim personal law back. You tell me, can this country run on Sharia? They want to bring back [now criminalised] triple talaq [for instant divorce among a section of Muslims]. [Congress leader] Rahul [Gandhi] baba, do whatever you want to do for appeasement. But as long as BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] is there, we will not let personal law be brought,” said Shah.

In its manifesto, the Congress said it would encourage reform of personal laws with the participation and consent of the communities concerned.

In February, Uttarakhand became the first state to pass a law for UCC, which is yet to be implemented as the rules for it have not been framed. Muslim bodies have challenged the law in the Uttrakhand high court. Other BJP-ruled states such as Assam have promised to implement UCC, one of the three ideological promises of the ruling party.

UCC refers to a common set of laws for personal matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, and succession for all citizens. Constitution’s Article 44, one of the directive principles of state policy, advocates UCC. But respective religion-based civil codes have governed personal matters since independence.

Shah said they would not let Congress give Muslims the first right over the country’s resources, citing the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s speech in 2006. Singh had said the upliftment of Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), other backward classes (OBC), minorities, and women and children were among their collective priorities. He added the component plans for SC and STs will need to be revitalised and they will have to devise innovative plans to ensure that minorities, particularly the Muslim minority, are empowered to share equitably in the fruits of development. “They must have the first claim on resources,” said Singh.

Modi turned the spotlight on Singh’s statement again at an election rally in Rajasthan on Sunday and suggested the Congress intended to redistribute public wealth to Muslims. The Congress accused Modi of tarnishing the principal Opposition party based on rank falsehoods to adversely impact the minds of the voters.

Shah said tribals, Dalits, and OBCs have the first right over the resources. He described Congress as an anti-OBC party. “The Congress did not form an OBC commission. The Mandal Commission and Kaka Saheb Kelkar reports recommending OBC reservations were ignored for years. Modi formed the OBC Commission and gave reservation to OBCs in medical colleges,” he said.