Opposition parties in Punjab on Thursday flayed the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for extending its “in principle” support to the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) for the country — proposed recently by Prime Minister Narendra Modi giving enough indications that it would be BJP’s poll plank for the 2024 General Elections.
While the principal opposition — Congress — rebuked AAP for backing the BJP-led Central Government's agenda of polarization ahead of the 2024 general elections, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) said that AAP was trying to deceive Punjabis yet again by speaking in different voices in Delhi and Punjab. SAD even demanded Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to clarify his stand on the proposed UCC.
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and the leader of opposition in Vidhan Sabha Partap Singh Bajwa, in a joint statement, asserted that the UCC should never be forced on the people because the Constitution of India honors the diversity and personal rights of the people belonging to different faiths, religions, and ethnicities.
“It would be the minority communities, who would be at the receiving end if the UCC got implemented…With the imposition of UCC, the harmonious and tranquil environment of the country could get upset, and AAP will also be responsible for the consequences,” they said.
Bajwa said that with the preparation for UCC, BJP is attempting to divert the people’s attention from its failure to tackle the growing unemployment and inflation. “BJP has also failed to restore peace in violence-hit Manipur. Meanwhile, with the agenda to consolidate its vote bank ahead of the 2024 general elections, the BJP has been infringing on the rights of minority communities. With this, some sections of the majority community will also get affected,” he added.
Bajwa and Warring asked AAP why it should not be termed as BJP’s ‘B Team’ when it has been toeing the line of its masters – the BJP. “Previously in August 2019, AAP extended its unconditional support to the Union Government led by the BJP when article 370 was revoked and the full state Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into two Union Territories. But now the ‘Broom Party’ (referring to AAP) is crying foul on federalism,” Bajwa added.
He said that AAP also extended its veiled-supported to the BJP on CAA. Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal never visited Shaheen Bagh, the site of protests organized against the CAA.
“The Sikh majority state, Punjab voted AAP to power with such a massive mandate. Why didn't AAP feel the urge to take the Punjabis into confidence while taking a final decision on UCC? The manner in which AAP takes such crucial decisions dictatorially demonstrates that it doesn't practice the principles of democracy within the party,” he added.
Bajwa said that notably, AAP took this stand on UCC after the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India decided to conduct a special audit into the alleged “administrative and financial” irregularities in the renovation of Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal’s official residence. Besides this, a probe into the alleged liquor scam was also on. Apparently, AAP supremo Kejriwal’s motive behind this support was to save his own skin, he added.
Bajwa said that there was no need to call for the 22nd Law Commission when the 21st Law Commission had already acknowledged that UCC was not required.
Senior SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema said: “It is shocking that AAP is trying to mislead Punjabis on the most sensitive issue of UCC with its Punjab unit calling for implementation of UCC only after taking the views of all religious leaders, states and sections of society into consideration even as the AAP high command had openly declared its support to UCC.”
Terming this move as “sheer hypocrisy and political expediency sans any morality”, Cheema said: “It is clear that AAP high command has taken a decision to support the implementation of UCC for the entire country without taking its Punjab unit, Chief Minister, or even the Sikh community into confidence. This speaks of how much respect AAP high command has for its Chief Minister in Punjab as well as religious entities of Punjab who were not consulted before extending support to the UCC.”
Asserting that there was more to this than meets the eye, Cheema said: “It seems AAP has surrendered the rights of minority communities as well as of tribals to protect its top leaders who are embroiled in various cases. “There can be no other explanation for the abject surrender of the party on this issue,” said Cheema.
He also condemned AAP MP Sandeep Pathak for justifying the need of a UCC by claiming that there was a provision for a UCC in Article 44 of the Constitution and not taking into account the fact that the UCC was kept in the concurrent list and was part of the Directive Principles of State Policy.
Asking the Chief Minister to clear the air immediately keeping in view the double speak of AAP on this issue, Cheema said: “You have been propagating the Anand Marriage Act but it too will be overridden by UCC. Moreover, rights of various religions and tribal communities vis-à-vis inheritance, marriage, and divorce laws will be affected which will cause an upheaval in the society which is not in the interest of the country.”
Cheema said that the Chief Minister’s cave-in to the Delhi high command could be seen from the Memorandum of Understanding (mou) which had given the Delhi Government complete freedom to interfere and run governance in Punjab as well as the subservience shown to Haryana’s interests vis-à-vis Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) canal and now UCC could have dangerous repercussions for the State as well as its people.
“The Chief Minister must convey the aspirations of Punjabis to the AAP high command and also take a principle stand as per the wishes of Punjabis on UCC instead of playing second fiddle to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal”, Cheema added.
