Cong, DMK, AIADMK dead against UCC; stand of BRS, CPI (M) & YSR remain skeptical

Umar Sharieef | NT

Bengaluru: Opposing the union government’s controversial decision to introduce the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the upcoming Parliament session, Congress and its ally DMK from Tamil Nadu have questioned the necessity of it in the backdrop of the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Both parties vehemently opposed the move in the parliamentary standing committee. While the stand of AIADMK, the principal opposition party in Tamil Nadu which is in alliance with the BJP came as a shocker to the latter, the stand of the rest of the southern state parties remains skeptical.

AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday cited the party’s 2019 manifesto and said they stand to it.

The manifesto says that “The AIADMK will urge the government of India not to bring any amendments to the Constitution for a Uniform Civil Code that will adversely affect the religious rights of minorities in India”.

The UCC sets a common set of laws governing personal matters including marriage, divorce, and adoption for all citizens, irrespective of their religion.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin slammed the center’s decision and said it was a move against those who oppose the BJP. T K S Elangovan, a DMK leader also said the UCC should first be introduced in the Hindu religion.

DMK also said it will take away the rights of the states to decide about its rituals according to their states, while Congress doubted the intention of the union government.

BRS, however, said the party will take a stand on it after the law commission comes with a report of clarification on the controversial bill. Meanwhile, the Congress in Kerala also demanded the CPI (M) government led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to openly announce its stand.

It demands whether the party has taken a different decision from the stands of EMS Nampoothiri, who had voiced support for it in 1987.

Meanwhile, the stand of Andhra Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is closely watched as he has not taken any stand on UCC even after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday.