Mayawati supports UCC but slams BJP’s approach

Mayawati’s take on UCC

Bahujan Samaj Party National President Mayawati stated that the BSP was not against the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) but does not agree with the way the BJP is trying to implement the UCC in India.

Mayawati stated that the BSP had no objection to the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), but she suspects that the Central Government has brought the UCC to the forefront to mask its failures and divert the public’s attention.

Mayawati stated at a press conference in Lucknow that she had suggested the BJP government rise above the politics of narrow selfishness and religious bias and focus on the issues that haunt India, including inflation, poverty, unemployment, and a lack of basic amenities, including education and health.

Further stating that she is not against the implementation of UCC in India but does not agree with how the Central Government is trying to implement it in India.

Citing Article 44 of the Constitution of India, Mayawati emphasized that the Central Government must ensure that UCC is implemented without religious bias and considering different religious beliefs and practices to strengthen the country and not weaken it, promoting communal harmony and brotherhood among the people of India. Further stating that if UCC is implemented properly, then her part stands in support of the Central Government.

Further clarifying that though UCC is mentioned in the Constitution of India, there is no provision for its forceful imposition in the Constitution drafted by Babasaheb Ambedkar; awareness and general consent have been considered best, and thus the implementation of UCC should take place only once general consent is obtained from the people of India.

Voices of different political parties

Various political parties have voiced their opposition against the UCC, which aims to replace personal laws with a common set of laws for all citizens.

While some parties, including the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), have supported the idea of the implementation of UCC in India was in consonance with Mayawati’s stance on UCC, other parties have claimed it to be a tactic to polarize the people ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

AAP National General Secretary Sandeep Pathak had said that AAP supports the Uniform Civil Code in principle while adding that Article 44 of the Constitution states there should be a UCC in the country. Pathak, however, emphasized that before the implementation of UCC, the central government should undertake consultation with all religious leaders, political parties, and organizations, to reach a common consensus built on which UCC can be implemented.

 Congress’s take on UCC

On Saturday, Congress’s Parliamentary Strategy Group held a meeting, where it was decided that the Congress would wait for the Central Government to take the next step and come out with a draft bill and refrain from “rushing in ” with its opposition to the agreement on the implementation of UCC without any Bill. It was decided in the meeting that the Congress party would not oppose much-needed reforms in personal laws such as “equality of inheritance”. However, it will continue to hold the view that the UCC could be an assault on diversity if not implemented in the right manner.

VD Satheeshan, the Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Kerala Assembly, stated that The Law Commission that was appointed by the Central government itself had made it clear that there is no need for implementation of UCC in India at this moment, and thus they were also taking the same stand that there is no need for UCC at this point of time, further stating that the Central Government is bringing this up to polarise the people.