All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief, Asaduddin Owaisi, has criticized Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his endorsement of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the country. Owaisi accused the Prime Minister of wanting to strip India of its pluralism and diversity, adding that Modi’s support for UCC referred to the Hindu Civil Code.
The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief challenged the Prime Minister to abolish the Hindu Undivided Family, adding that all Islamic practices would be treated as illegal and all Hindu practices would be protected under the UCC. Owaisi’s remarks come after Modi said that the Supreme Court had also called for the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code.
PM Modi also accused the opposition of playing vote bank politics, instigating people in the name of UCC. But Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal criticized the Prime Minister, alleging that he was habitually diverting attention from pressing issues in the country, such as poverty, inflation, and unemployment.
Notably, Part 4, Article 44 of the Indian Constitution, makes it mandatory for the State to provide its citizens with a uniform civil code (UCC) throughout the territory of India, corresponding with Directive Principles of State Policy.
Critics have argued that UCC would homogenize the personal laws of different religions and eliminate the diversity that exists in the country. They fear it could lead to the loss of hard-won gains for minorities and women in the areas of inheritance rights, marriage, and divorce.
However, supporters believe that a UCC would ensure gender and social justice for all Indian citizens, providing them with equal rights and treatment under the law.
It remains to be seen how the debate surrounding the Uniform Civil Code will unfold in India, but it is clear that it remains a contentious issue in the country.
