Opposition UDF dares CPI(M) to renounce EMS stand on UCC

Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress-led UDF opposi - tion in Kerala on Wednesday continued its attack on the ruling CPI(M) on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) issue by accusing it of having "double standards" in the matter and dared the Left party to renounce the stand of its former leader EMS Namboodiripad, who was in favour of a common personal law for all citizens.

Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the state assembly V D Satheesan said that Namboodiripad, the first CM of Kerala, had back in 1957 called for implementation of the UCC. Satheesan challenged the CPI(M) to state that the stand taken by their former leader was wrong.

He alleged that the double standards of the Left party were evident from the facts that it was not willing to renounce what Namboodiripad said, it was not withdrawing the cases lodged against participants in the anti-CAA protests and it was reaching out to select Muslim organisations on the UCC issue.

He further said that the stand being taken by the CPI(M) shows it was "walking the same path as the BJP and Sangh Parivar" which are allegedly trying to create communal strife and divide people of the country through the UCC.

"The CPI(M) is also trying to divide people. That is why it reached out to select Muslim organisations like Samastha and IUML. But it is not an issue which affects Muslims alone. It would affect everyone in the country," Satheesan claimed while speaking to reporters here.

Samastha, is a body of Islamic scholars, and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) is a key ally of the Congress in Kerala. The LoP also denied any difference of opinion in the Congress over the UCC.

Satheesan said that even before senior CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury commented against the UCC, Congress leader and AICC general secretary in-charge of communication, Jairam Ramesh, had clearly indicated that the grand old party was not in favour of the proposal for a common personal law for all citizens.

He said that the Congress stand on the UCC was always the same -- that it was not required -- and it was the CPI(M) which appeared to be changing its stance on the issue.

"We opposed it before the Parliamentary committee. Once the Bill comes, we will see what is the intent behind it and accordingly, take action against it inside and outside Parliament. We will also convene a UDF meeting to decide the further course of action," he said.

"However, they (the CPIM) are only trying to make political gains out of the situation. Nothing more," he added. Satheesan also said that reformation or changes in a religion should happen within it and there was no need for the State to intervene in that.

"That was our stand on the Sabarimala issue (with regard to entry of women of menstrual age in the hilltop shrine) and that is our stand on UCC," he said.

A strong political debate was kicked off in the state over the UCC after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, last week, made a strong push for implementing the UCC by asking how the country can function with dual laws that govern personal matters.

He had advocated for the UCC while addressing BJP workers in Bhopal in pollbound Madhya Pradesh. (PTI)