Oppn oppose UCC: ‘Why not common law for corruption, too?’

Muslim women participate in a rally to oppose the Uniform Civil Code, in Ahmedabad on November 4, 2016. Pic/AFP

Leaders of the Opposition on Thursday asked the Centre to reconsider its decision on uniform civil code (UCC), with the Shiv Sena (UBT) saying that mere opposition to ‘Sharia' cannot be the basis for the proposed UCC.

In an editorial in its mouthpiece ‘Saamana', the Uddhav Thackeray-led party said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should first respect uniform law by disqualifying 40 MLAs, including Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, whose Urban Development department has taken action against 18 ex-corporators from the Bhiwandi Nizampur City Municipal Corporation (BNCMC).

Earlier this week, 18 former Congress corporators of BNCMC were disqualified from contesting any elections for the next six years for voting against their party's official mayoral candidate in 2019 and defying party whip.

‘Have equality in justice, too'

"Only opposing the Sharia law of Muslims is not the basis for uniform civil code. Having equality in law and justice is also uniform civil code," the editorial said. What law is it if "corrupt people, ministers, businessmen of the ruling party" are protected and leaders from opposition parties are implicated under anti-corruption statutes, it asked.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) also questioned the Comptroller and Auditor General inquiry initiated by the Centre into alleged irregularities in the reconstruction expenses of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's official residence.

In an apparent reference to CM Shinde, it said the "landlords" of Maharashtra have kept two-four official bungalows and resorted to unchecked splurging. There should also be uniform law in this case, it said. Sharia is an Islamic religious law based on the teachings of the Quran and the traditional sayings of Muhammad.

NC chief cautions

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah said the Centre should not push through with the UCC and rethink consequences of implementing it. "They should rethink about it. This is a diverse nation, people of different races and religions live here and Muslims have their own shariah law... They should keep all this under consideration and instead of pushing it through, they should think of the consequences. Lest, there might be a storm," Abdullah told reporters at Hazratbal after offering Eid-ul Azha prayers.

‘Instigating violence'

DMK President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin accused Modi of attempting to completely "disrupt the law and order situation" and cause "religious violence". "Our Modi says that there should not be two types of laws in a country." The PM was hence thinking of winning the 2024 Lok Sabha polls by fanning communal sentiments and creating confusion in the country, the he said. Stalin also said that while people were being killed in Manipur and thousands were fleeing the BJP-governed state, Modi was talking about UCC implementation.

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