AAP gives 'in-principle support' to UCC; IUML, AIMPLB oppose

New Delhi/Lucknow: The AAP on Wednesday gave "in-principle support" to the Uniform Civil Code(UCC) over which the BJP and Congress were locked in a slugfest and also drew "strong" opposition from the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and the All India Muslim Personal Law Board(AIMPLB).

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a fervent pitch at a BJP event in Bhopal for UCC's implementation, the Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) while extending its support said the code should be brought in with a consensus after extensive consultations with stakeholders.

The stand of the Arvind Kejriwal-led party, which is in power in Punjab and Delhi, was a sign that the opposition parties were not on the same page on the politically sensitive issue amid their efforts to forge an alliance to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

As the push for the UCC set off a political debate, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh lamented that efforts are being made by political opponents to give communal colour if the Centre talks about its implementaton.

He said politics should not be done by dividing society, but should be done by taking the society and country together. "What we are going to do has been written in the Indian Constitution. We are going to fulfil the same promise. Isn't there one country, one legislation?" the senior BJP leader said addressing a rally in Jodhpur.

UCC refers to a common set of laws that are applicable to all the citizens of India that is not based on religion and dealing with marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption among other personal matters.

In a veiled reference to Modi's push for the UCC ahead of the string of Assembly polls and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the opposition party will not allow the BJP to divert attention from public issues. Gandhi said this while intensifying his party's attack on the Centre over the rising price of essential commodities.

AAP national general secretary (organisation) Sandeep Pathak said the Centre should hold extensive consultations on UCC with all stakeholders, including political parties and non-political entities, "The AAP supports UCC in principle. Article 44 (of the Constitution) also supports it," Pathak told PTI in Delhi.

But the government should bring in UCC only when there is a consensus among the stakeholders, he added.

"We believe that on such issues we should go ahead with consensus. We believe that this (UCC) should be implemented only after there is a consensus among all the stakeholders." The AIMPLB went into a huddle to build its case against the UCC and held a meeting Tuesday night through video conferencing.

The draft document to be submitted to the Law Commission was discussed, AIMPLB member Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahli said in Lucknow.

Talking to PTI, Mahli said the AIMPLB meeting was a routine one and that it should not be linked to the prime minister's statement on UCC.

"Our stand is that UCC is against the spirit of the Constitution and we will oppose it strongly," he said.

"India is a country where many religions and cultures are followed. So, the UCC is not only going to affect the Muslims, but also the Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, Jews, Parsis and other miniscule minorities." The JD(U), which had hosted the mega opposition conclave in Patna recently, criticised Modi's statement on UCC as a "political stunt" for the Lok Sabha elections next year, claiming it has nothing to do with the welfare of the minorities.

The Sharad Pawar-led NCP echoed this view and said broaching the UCC issue was a "political ploy" and such decisions should not be rushed through.

“We have neither supported nor opposed UCC. We are only saying that such a big decision should not be rushed through,” NCP Working President Praful Patel told reporters after a meeting of the party’s various wings.

BJP leader and former Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi took a swipe at opposition parties, saying the time has come to make the UCC free of these "communal crafters" as it is not for any particular community but for the entire society.

Talking to reporters, he said the Congress should clarify whether it stands with the constitutional commitment to the UCC or is a part of "communal conspiracy" against its implementation.

Naqvi said from the constituent assembly to Parliament, from the streets to civil society and the Supreme Court, the demand and need for the UCC was raised on several occasions.

However, "communal confusion" created over it hijacked the constitutional commitment and instead of becoming a part of the Constitution, the UCC remained a part of its directive principles, he added.

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said the code cannot be forced on people by an "agenda-driven majoritarian government" as it will "widen divisions" among people.

The former union minister claimed the prime minister was batting for UCC to divert people's attention from issues of unemployment, price rise and hate crimes. He also alleged the BJP was using UCC to polarise the society.

Noting that a UCC is an aspiration, the senior Congress leader said, "It cannot be forced on the people by an agenda-driven majoritarian government." The IUML, a Congress ally and a member of opposition UDF in Kerala, alleged that Prime Minister Modi was pushing for implementing the UCC only as an election agenda ahead of the Lok Sabha polls next year as he has nothing to show for his nine-year governance.

After a meeting held in Malappuram, senior IUML members -- which included the party's state chief Sayyid Sadik Ali Shihab Thangal, its national general secretary P K Kunhalikutty and MP E T Muhammed Basheer -- said they have decided to oppose the UCC.

The Shiromani Akali Dal(SAD) said the implementation of UCC would have an adverse impact on the minority and tribal communities.

The opposition party in Punjab also slammed the AAP for extending its "in-principle" support to the UCC, saying the nod has exposed its "anti-minority face." In a statement in Chandigarh, senior SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema said the party believed that civil laws in the country were influenced by faith, belief, caste and customs and were different for different religions.

"These should be retained in the interest of safeguarding the social fabric as well as the concept of unity in diversity." The Vishva Hindu Parishad(VHP) welcomed the push for UCC and said it will help end discrimination against women.