"Apply To Hindus First": MK Stalin's Party Slams PM On Uniform Civil Code

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pitch for a uniform civil code has been vehemently questioned by the Congress and its ally, the DMK. The ruling party of Tamil Nadu has contended that a uniform code should first be applied to the Hindus, who will then have to allow people from all castes to pray in temples.

"Uniform Civil Code should be first introduced in the Hindu religion. Every person including Scheduled Castes and Tribes should be allowed to perform pooja in any temple in the country. We don't want UCC (uniform Civil Code) only because the Constitution has given protection to every religion," said DMK's TKS Elangovan.

"He (PM Modi) should first answer about poverty, price rise and unemployment in the country," read a statement from Congress general secretary KC Venugopal.

"He never speaks on Manipur issue. The whole state is burning. He is just distracting people from all these issues," he added.

Pitching for the implementation of Uniform Civil Code, which has been part of BJP's election manifestos, PM Modi said today that it doesn't work to have "different set of rules for different members of a family" and a country can't run on two laws.

If "Triple Talaq" is an inalienable part of Islam, why it isn't practised in Muslim-majority countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Qatar, Jordan and Syria, he questioned.

Citing the example of Egypt, where he was on a visit last week, PM Modi said the country had abolished Triple Talaq 80-90 years ago, even though 90 per cent of its population comprise Sunni Muslims.

Slamming the opposition, he said, "Whoever talks in favour of Triple Talaq, whoever advocates it, those vote bank hungry people are doing a great injustice to Muslim daughters. Triple talaq doesn't just do injustice to daughters. It is beyond this; the whole family get ruined".

Uniform Civil Code refers to a set of overarching laws that apply to everyone in the country and replaces religion-based personal laws, rules of inheritance, adoption and succession.

In September last year, a private member's Bill that seeks to provide for a panel to prepare a Uniform Civil Code was introduced in the Rajya Sabha in face of great resistance by opposition parties. In the past, although similar bills were listed for introduction, they were not moved in the Upper House.

Earlier this month, the law commission started a fresh consultation process on the Uniform Civil Code, seeking views from all stakeholders on the politically sensitive issue.