Lucknow, (Samajweekly) If the Ram temple is the base on which the BJP in Uttar Pradesh is preparing to face the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the issue of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) — put forward by Prime Minister Narendra Modi — is the proverbial icing on the cake.
Implementation of the UCC has now become the BJP’s top priority but even if it does not materialize before the general elections, the issue will help the party in consolidating its Hindu credentials.
“We promised to do away with Article 370 and we did it. We promised the Ram temple and the dream is coming true. We promised Uniform Civil Code and we are on the way. Even if we are unable to do it before elections, people know that we mean business on the issue,” said a party functionary.
The BJP is confident that there will not be any major resistance to the UCC, especially in UP.
“First, the Muslim women support us because they know that UCC will protect their future. They have faith in the Modi leadership which banned triple talaq and gave a sense of security to Muslim women. Therefore, Muslim resistance to UCC will be restricted to clerics,” said a senior minister in the Yogi Adityanath government.
Another factor that keeps the mood in the BJP camp upbeat is that there has been no opposition to the UCC from other minority communities like Sikhs, Parsis and Jains.
It is only the male dominance in Muslim society that stands threatened with the implementation of the UCC because the men do not want women to get equal rights.
For the UCC, the Centre has been banking upon the Supreme Court, which has, time and again, emphasized the need to ensure equal justice to citizens. This was reflected when the SC took a decision on abolishing Triple Talaq.
The first time that the courts spoke of a UCC was during the Shah Bano Case in the Supreme Court.
During the Shah Bano Begum case (1985), the top court exhorted the Central government to enact a “common civil code” in the interest of national integration.
“Time has now come for the intervention of the legislature to provide for a uniform code of marriage and divorce as envisaged by Article 44,” the court had observed.
Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party is all set to vehemently oppose the UCC on the grounds that it is divisive in nature.
SP president Akhilesh Yadav said that this was another effort by the BJP to divert attention from core issues.
Party MP Shafiqur Rahman Barq said it will only spread hatred in the country.
“Lok Sabha elections are round the corner; elections are also to be held in some states. The BJP has no inclination to discuss issues and wants to put the country in the fire of hatred. Making this law will not work, this will only create more hatred in the country,” he said.
Barq’s remarks come in the wake of the Law Commission stating that it has decided to look at the need for a uniform civil code afresh and seek the views of various stakeholders, including members of the public and religious organisations.
He said that the UCC would be a direct attack on the diversity of the country.
