Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 17 (PTI) The opposition Congress-led UDF on Saturday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks against the existing civil code in his recent Independence Day speech and charged that it was a call to divide the country on the lines of religion.
UDF Convenor M M Hassan termed the PM’s remarks as “unfortunate” and an “insult” to the architects of the Constitution.
“It was unfortunate that the Prime Minister who should have been called to protect freedom and strengthen the unity of people, tried to create an atmosphere of hatred among people,” he said in a statement.
He alleged that Modi has described the existing personal law in the country as a “communal personal law” and the civil code as “discriminatory”.
Modi’s speech amounted to insult Dr B R Ambedkar and the other freedom fighters, the architects of the Constitution who had formed the Common Civil Code that has been in place in the country for the past 75 years.
Since it came to power in 2014, the Modi government has been trying to implement the agenda of a single personal law, UDF Convenor charged.
Further alleging that there were differences of opinion even within the BJP over the implementation of a single personal law, Hassan also accused PM Modi of playing vote-bank politics with regard to the issue and his Red Fort speech was a proof for that.
Prime Minister Modi on Thursday had made an unequivocal pitch for a “secular” civil code instead of the current framework which is “communal” and promoted “discrimination”, and also for simultaneous polls, as he fronted the ruling BJP’s manifesto promises for a uniform civil code and ‘one nation one election’.
In his first Independence Day address of his third term from the ramparts of the Red Fort and his 11th consecutive one, Modi invoked the Constitution’s directive principles, which recommend a uniform civil code (UCC) across the country, and the Supreme Court’s verdicts to make his most forceful backing of the provision, contested by many parties.
“A big section (of society) believes and there is truth in this that the current civil code is in a way a communal civil code. We have lived 75 years with a communal civil code. It is a civil code which promotes discrimination. It divides the country along religious lines and promotes inequality. Now, we have to move towards a secular civil code. A secular civil code in the country is the need of the hour,” Modi had said. PTI LGK SS
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