Again a BJP vs rest situation in UCC row

New Delhi:  Against the backdrop of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board's(AIMPLB) call for boycott of the Law Commission's questionnaire over the issue of Uniform Civil Code and raging debate over the practice of triple talaq, Information & Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today advised the AIMPLB not to see a political motive in the Commission’s move. "You want to boycott the Law Commission then its your choice, but, don't force your view on others and make it a political issue," Mr Naidu said while responding to questions on this issue.

He said, "What is the objection to the move,I don't understand,let a consensus be evolved". The Minister also called for a nationwide debate on issue of triple talaq. He said that some people were linking triple talaq to Uniform Civil Code but both the issues were different. ''Today the real issues were gender justice, no-discrimination and dignity of women and there should be no politics over it,'' he said. The Minister emphasized that the Uniform Civil Code was not related to any religion. He questioned the AIMPLB, "Why you bring the name of PM and call him dictator". Urging the board not to make it a political issue, Mr Naidu said the government was committed for equality for all.

A political war broke out yesterday over the uniform civil code with the AIMPLB and other Muslim bodies coming out in strong opposition to the Modi Government’s move and the Opposition too joining in to question the Centre’s motive. Yesterday, the ruling BJP, expressed its solidarity with the Centre, saying a Uniform Civil Code was a must for a progressive society. The immediate provocation for the Muslim bodies came from the Law Commission that has put out a questionnaire in the public domain to elicit public opinion on the issue.

The Law Commission move came close on the heels of the Centre opposing the triple talaq in an affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court. While the AIMPLB called for boycott of the questionnaire, the Asaddudin Owaisi-led All India Anjuman Ittehad-e-Muslimeen said it would reply to the Law Commission giving cogent reasons why the Uniform Civil Code was not feasible in a country like India which was so diverse. However, Tehreek Muslim Shabban (TMS) announced its full support to the AIMPLB call for boycott of the Law Commission's questionnaire.

 Congress, the principal opposition party at the Centre, said it was impractical to introduce one civil code for all the communities in India which was so diverse in nature. The Board had said, ''A uniform civil code is not good for this nation which had so much cultural diversity. The culture of all communities has to be respected and no single ideology should be imposed.

Difficult to implement Uniform civil code in a country like India: Cong

The Congress today said that it was difficult to implement the Uniform civil code in a country like India. ’’It will be difficult to implement Uniform Civil Code in a country like India where various communities and groups are governed by personal laws,’’former Law Minister and senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily said. Mr Moily said 200-300 personal laws exist in India covering various communities. Earlier, the Muslim Personal Law Board (MPLB) had decided to boycott the Uniform Civil Law.

The MPLB said they would boycott the Uniform Civil Law as they feel it is not good for the nation. "We will boycott the questionnaire sent by the Law Commission and we have decided that Muslims of the country will not answer this question as it is not acceptable and not good for the nation," Hazrat Maulana Mohammad Wali Rahmani of the MPLB told reporters here. (UNI)