The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Friday said it supports Balasaheb Thackeray's vision of “one nation, one law” and appealed to the Centre to hold a discussion on the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Parliament's monsoon session.
It targeted Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, asking if a UCC would affect Hindus or just the Gandhis. The Thackeray-led Shiv Sena was split last year after Shinde revolted against the party leadership and joined hands with the BJP to become the chief minister.
Addressing a press conference on the first anniversary of the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena leader and Lok Sabha MP from south central Mumbai, Rahul Shewale, declared his party's complete support to the proposed UCC. He was accompanied by MPs Hemant Patil and Krupal Tumane.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday made a strong pitch for UCC and said Muslims are being instigated over the sensitive issue. UCC relates to a common law pertaining to marriage, divorce, inheritance, maintenance and succession of property for all citizens.
Shewale urged CM Shinde to get a resolution passed in support of UCC in the upcoming monsoon session of the state legislature and send it to the Centre to let it know Maharashtra's stand on the issue.
“We also request PM Narendra Modi to hold a discussion on UCC in Parliament's monsoon session, and a whip will be issued to all Sena MPs to support it,” Shewale said.
The MP said UCC was one of the three dreams that Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray had for the country.
“Balasaheb had three dreams – setting up a grand Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, scrapping Article 370 (which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir), and implementing a Uniform Civil Code in the country. PM Modi has fulfilled two of his dreams and the last dream of having a UCC will be completed soon,” Shewale said.
He said that Balasaheb supported UCC because it is in the interest of every citizen, especially women who need equal status under the law.
Shewale also launched an attack on Uddhav Thackeray over his meeting with the members of the All India Muslim Personal Board.
“His father openly supported the UCC. Yet today, he is wary of it and even spreading misinformation about Hindus being affected by it. The leaders of the Muslim personal board went to meet Uddhav Thackeray because they know he will oppose it. His real face has been exposed and the people of Maharashtra are watching it,” Shewale.
The proposed law is not against any community, said the Sena MP.
“Uddhav Thackeray said that the law will affect Hindus, it will not affect Hindus, it will only affect the Gandhis (of Congress) and that is why he is opposing it,” Shewale said.
After he snapped ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) post the 2019 Assembly polls over the CM's post, Thackeray has been a part of the three-party alliance – Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) – that also comprises the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress.
Shewale said that former President of India Dr Abdul Kalam had supported UCC in 2003 and claimed that the Supreme Court also emphasised the need for a UCC.
Shewale further said that the Shinde-led Shiv Sena is treading on the ideals of Balasaheb Thackeray and has already declared his support for the proposed law.
“The Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde is committed to Balasaheb's vision of ‘one nation, one law'. Even Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar was in favour of the UCC, but it was the Congress that did not allow it to be implemented in the country for 75 years,” Shewale said.
