Facing strong criticism from the opposition, Law Minister Kiran Rijiju considers the BJP’s ideology synonymous to that of India.
New Delhi: The Minister of Law, Kiren Rijiju, has faced staunch criticism at the hands of the Opposition. The row began over the Family Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2022 which was being discussed in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
It is here that the Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said that Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government agrees to the BJP’s demand for the promulgation of Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the country.
Answering a question by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, Rijiju dropped hints of implementing Uniform Civil Code. However, a few days ago, when asked about the same topic, he had confirmed that no decision had been taken by the government on the implementation of the UCC in the country as the matter is still subjudice with some petitions pending in the Supreme Court.
Seems like the ministers of BJP suffer from short term memory loss along with a false sense of nationalism.
The minister was also asked about the Central government’s stand on the matter to which he said, “You know what our government’s thinking is. Whatever is our ideology, consider it the country’s ideology. Whatever we think… is for the country… I’m proud of it.”
Additionally, while some states (Goa) already had a UCC, other states like Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh are planning its implementation. Furthermore he asked, “Has the time not come after 75 years of independence, that we bring in a Uniform Civil Code for the entire country, to define relationships such as between a father and a son, a husband and his wife.”
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey unabashedly called out same-sex marriages and live-in relationships as “social evils” while initiating the discussion on UCC, when he dragged the Constitution makers suggesting that there should be a uniform civil code in the country because these “social evils” have accentuated their need.
It is rather ironical how the ministers brand one’s sexuality as evil while turning a blind eye to the actual mishappenings in the society including rapes, dowry deaths, women subjugation etc. But these apparently occur because of how women dress, I wonder if this is how BJP has made their ideology into the ideology of the nation!
Kiran Rijuju’s statement “Party’s ideology is country’s ideology” was, however, strongly objected to by the opposition majorly comprising SP and BSP. This statement led to an uproar in the Lok Sabha, to which Rijiju retorted, “I am proud of this.”
However, the opposition was rather not pleased with this statement. Rejecting it, BSP’s Kunwar Danish Ali said, “when India is multicultural democracy, how could it be one party’s ideology” and yet, The Family Court’s (Amendment) Bill, 2022, was passed by the Lok Sabha.
Since the Monsoon Session has begun, the party in majority has faced a lot of criticism at the hands of the Opposition.
Both Houses have suffered frequent adjournments as the Opposition protests against inflation, hike in Goods and Services Tax prices, and suspension of Congress MPs, demanding a discussion on price hike in the Houses.
However, a total of 24 MPs have been suspended of which four are from Congress for the whole Monsoon Session and 23 MPs from Rajya Sabha for the remainder of the current week.
Conclusively, BJP should remember that this is democracy and the welfare of the people is the primary responsibility of any ruling party. The ministers are a clear depiction of our choice and it is of utmost importance that the people of India begin to choose wisely and not loosely.
Moreover, the Opposition which forms the check and balance in the Parliament should not involve in pettiness but look at the wider picture. Going on strikes and creating a ruckus is not what the Parliament is for.
Alas! From the looks of it, the makers of our Constitution must roll in their graves watching the flailing condition of the Parliament. Was it this ideology that brought together the largest democracy of the world? The answer remains unclear!
