"Not A Dog Whistle": Lalu Yadav's Party Leader Over Uniform Civil Code

The RJD on Tuesday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks in Madhya Pradesh on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), saying he should not make such issues an instrument of "dog-whistle politics".

The attack by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha came after Prime Minister Modi said that even the Supreme Court has advocated for having the UCC, but those practising vote bank politics are opposing it.

Addressing BJP workers in Bhopal on Tuesday under the party's 'Mera Booth Sabse Majboot' campaign, PM Modi, while talking of the UCC, said Indian Muslims have to understand which political parties are taking advantage of them by provoking them.

"We are seeing that work is being done to instigate such people in the name of Uniform Civil Code. If there is one law for one member in a house and another for the other, will the house be able to run? So how will the country be able to run with such a dual system?" he said.

Reacting to the prime minister's remarks, RJD spokesperson Jha said that hearing the prime minister makes one feel that he is looking for occasions to make "dog whistles".

"Before speaking, the prime minister should have examined what the 21st law commission had said, deeply analysed debates of the constituent assembly without taking help because those out to help you, end up causing harm through you," Mr Jha said.

"For me it is important to tell him that this is not a dog whistle, that you make it into a Hindu-Muslim issue, it also involves the traditions of our tribals. There are other issues, Hindu marriage sacrament, Islamic marriage contract...what will be done about them," he asked.

Mr Jha said the Hindu religion also has a lot of diversity and it cannot be painted with one brush.

"My expectation is that do not make these issues an instrument of dog whistle politics. If it has to be discussed, do so threadbare from micro to macro level, otherwise it will seem after his recent trip abroad that he says 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' there and forgets about it when he comes here," the senior leader from the Lalu Prasad-led party said.

On Prime Minister Modi's remarks giving a guarantee that his government will take action against those involved in "scams", Mr Jha said, "The place from where he was giving a guarantee, is a place of 50 per cent corruption. He has just lost Karnataka elections on the issue of corruption." "The fear in the aftermath of the Patna meeting is visible on your face, that is understandable," the RJD leader said, taking a dig at the prime minister.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)