Not right to forcefully implement UCC, says BSP chief Mayawati

Mayawati, the chief of the Bahujan Samaj Party, stated on Sunday that her party was not opposed to implementing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), which she believed would “lead to communal harmony,” but she chastised the Bharatiya Janata Party for “politicizing” the matter.

“Our party (BSP) is not against the implementation of UCC but we do not support the way BJP is trying to implement Uniform Civil Code in the country. It is not right to politicize this issue and forcefully implement UCC in the country,” Mayawati said at a press conference.

“The UCC will not weaken the country but strengthen the country and it will also lead to communal harmony….but people having faith on various religions live in the country. They have separate practices and customs and it should not be overlooked,” Mayawati added.

She emphasized that the UCC should not be imposed by force and that there should be broad agreement on the issue.

Mayawati further claimed that the BJP was dredging up the topic to shift public attention away from critical issues and troubles that they were facing. “There should be no politics surrounding the UCC….”Article 44 of the Constitution clearly states that the state shall endeavor to secure for the citizens of the country a Uniform Civil Code,” she added.

Mayawati’s statement came only days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi campaigned for the UCC during a speech in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The UCC is a proposal to create and enforce personal laws for citizens that will apply to all Indians regardless of caste, religion, or sexual orientation.