'Asaduddin Owaisi objecting UCC for vote bank politics': BJP

Asaduddin Owaisi to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) notification to empower the district collectors of two more districts in Gujarat to grant citizenship to migrants from the six communities who entered India on valid documents

Image courtesy: ANI

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson and former union minister Shahnawaz Hussain on Wednesday, November 2, 2022, lambasted AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi for allegedly politicising the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) issue. Speaking to ANI, Hussain said, "Owaisi sahib should know that there is a BJP government in Uttarakhand and Uttarakhand government had also formed a committee to implement UCC. Goa already has Uniform Civil Code."

"If Indian Muslims go abroad and get married, they follow the rules there. It is only a matter of marriage reform, it is a matter of registration and a matter of equality. If the Gujarat government formed a committee, then why is Owaisi ji objecting? He is doing it because of vote bank politics," said the former union minister. Hussain said the BJP government does not work for vote bank politics but for the equality of all.

"UCC does not mean that the Hindu Civil Code Bill is imposed on anyone. Uniform Civil Code does not mean that the matter of one religion is imposed on another. It is a matter of marriage reform. A committee has been formed, there is no need to create so much ruckus over this," said the BJP leader. 

Hussain said that Owaisi, Congress and other parties created a ruckus when the Citizenship (Amendment) Act was brought. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday reacted to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) notification to empower the district collectors of two more districts in Gujarat to grant citizenship to migrants from the six communities who entered India on valid documents. "You should make this law religion-neutral," Owaisi advised.

Under the new rule by the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the District Collectors of Mehsana and Anand districts in Gujarat have the right to investigate people and give them citizenship, informed officials. While speaking to ANI, Asaduddin Owaisi said, "It is already happening that you first give the long-term VISA and then they (minority community of Afghanistan) get citizenship."

Asked about Bhartiya Janta Party`s decision to constitute a committee to implement the Uniform Civil Code AIMIM Chief said that the UCC committee, which BJP formed before the elections, is to hide the government`s failures and its wrong decisions. "Why Hindu undivided family tax rebate is given only to Hindus. Give it to Muslims also, it is against the fundamental right of the Right to Equality of the constitution," he added.

The decision to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) has been made in the Gujarat Cabinet on Saturday for which a committee will be formed under the chairmanship of a retired Supreme Court/High court judge. Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has taken a historic decision in the cabinet meeting today - of forming a committee for implementing the Uniform Civil Code in the state, stated Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi in a press conference on Saturday.

Sanghavi said, there is one criminal code for the citizens across the country but there is a difference in the civil code, which is based on religion and to change the same, it has been decided to implement a uniform civil code in the state. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel also took to Twitter and informed that an important decision has been taken today in a state cabinet meeting to form a high-level committee under the chairmanship of a retired Supreme Court/HC judge to examine the need for a Uniform Civil Code in the state and prepare a draft for this code.