Communal Spin Being Given To Modi Govt's Efforts To Introduce Uniform Civil Code: Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the Modi government is only trying to implement the values and directions enshrined in our Constitution.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the BJP government at the Centre was trying to bring in a Uniform Civil Code.

Source : PTI

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said that the government's efforts to bring a uniform civil code (UCC) in the country were being given a political spin. His statement comes at a time when the Opposition is up in arms against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for advocating a UCC.

PM Modi on Tuesday advocated the implementation of a UCC, saying that there cannot be different sets of laws for the same people in the country. "How will the country run with different laws? People are only being instigated in the name of the Uniform Civil Code. Two types of laws cannot run the country. The Constitution of India also talks about equal rights for the citizens," he said at a rally in Bhopal. His speech can be heard in the video below. Around 26 minutes into the video, he speaks about UCC.

Soon after PM Modi's statement, Opposition parties slammed him for advocating a single law for the entire nation. The Opposition alleged that this was a tact to "divert attention from real issues". While the Congress accused the BJP of ignoring important matters like unemployment, inflation, and the situation in Manipur, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi challenged the Prime Minister to abolish the Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) law, which, he claimed, cost the country billions of rupees annually.

Speaking at a rally in poll-bound Rajasthan's Jodhpur on Wednesday, Singh asserted that there should be a unified legislation for civil matters in the entire country. "We are only trying to implement the values and directions enshrined in our Constitution," he said. He was referring to the promises mentioned in the BJP's manifesto in previous elections. He said that the BJP had fulfilled its promises to abrogate Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir and build a Ram temple in Ayodhya. And now it was time to fulfil the third pledge of implementing a UCC.

The Defence Minister further said that earlier, India used to be perceived as "weak" and the "land of poverty". He emphasized that the country now commands attention when it speaks on international platforms. The senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) highlighted that in the nine years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, no corruption allegation has been levelled against any of his Cabinet colleagues.

What is UCC?

The Uniform Civil Code aims to establish a standardized set of personal laws that would be applicable to all citizens regardless of their religion, gender, caste, and other factors. Essentially, the Uniform Civil Code entails a unified framework of laws that govern personal matters such as marriage, divorce, adoption, inheritance, and succession.

Presently, the personal laws of different communities are predominantly influenced by their respective religious practices.

The Uniform Civil Code is covered under Article 44 of the Constitution of India. It states that the State [India] shall strive to implement a uniform civil code for all citizens throughout the territory of India. However, since this article falls under the directive principles of state policy, it is considered a non-binding guideline rather than a mandatory provision.