Union minister Jitendra Singh stated on Monday that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s election pledge to impose the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Himachal Pradesh is not intended to polarise voters.
His statement came while he was addressing the media at Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.
“When they (Congress) ask why are we imposing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) here in Himachal as 95 percent of the population is Hindu here, it means they do not want that this law is imposed in the country,” news agency PTI quoted him as saying.
The saffron party has declared its intention to impose the UCC over the whole nation, according to the Union Minister of State for Science and Technology.
“When there is no scope for polarisation in Himachal and still the BJP wants to impose the UCC here, it shows that we do not want to impose it for the sake of polarisation," he said, PTI reported.
Talking about the BJP manifesto for the state which is going to poll on November 12, he said his party has tried to focus on areas that were ignored by Congress.
To address the issue of unemployment, Singh stated, “We have talked about start-up funding to address that. Employment does not mean providing only government jobs."
He said that the only employment options available to young people in hill states are government positions, but that view has to be addressed.
While unveiling the party's manifesto for the assembly elections on Sunday, BJP President J P Nadda pledged UCC and a 33 percent quota for women in government employment in Himachal Pradesh.
Nadda had made a number of announcements with less than a week till the elections in his home state, including 8 lakh employment, scooters for girls pursuing higher education, and five new medical institutes.
Nadda issued the party's distinct manifesto for women voters, focusing on their needs, and announced a 33 percent reservation in public employment. Additionally, he introduced cycles for female students in classes 6 to 12.
The BJP established a committee to solicit public input while drafting the manifesto in an effort to reverse the state's tradition of alternative administrations, news agency PTI reported.
Voting in Himachal Pradesh will take place on November 12 in a single phase. The deadline for filing a nomination is October 25, and the Himachal Pradesh assembly election vote count will take place on December 8.
(With Inputs From PTI)